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Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Palace 'abandons' ally in graft, extort cases
MANILA -- Former justice secretary Hernando Perez is on his own as far as the graft, extortion, and money laundering cases recommended by the Ombudsman against him, his wife, and two other cohorts are concerned.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said while they remain supportive of Perez, Malacañang could not lift a finger to help him.
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The Ombudsman recommended the filing of graft, extortion and falsification of documents against Perez, his wife Rosario, his brother-in-law Ramon Arceo and business associate Ernest Escaler.
The charges stemmed from the alleged US$2 million extorted by Perez from then Manila congressman Mark Jimenez (Mario Crespo in real life) in 2001 to ensure the dropping of Jimenez's name from the list of respondents liable for the anomalous US$470 million deal with the Argentinian firm Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona SA (Impsa) for the rehabilitation of the 750-megawatt Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) power plant in Laguna.
Jimenez, then Presidential adviser for Latin American affairs, brokered the deal.
Ermita said while Perez is an administration ally and an official of the Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD)-Batangas wing, his case, aside from being handled by an independent body, is also a private case.
"The case is with the court, it is with the Ombudsman and so I think we will have to leave it that way. Hindi natin masasabi na (We cannot say tha) the party will help him because that is a private case of Secretary Perez. Alam naman ni (It is known to) Secretary Perez in spirit, lahat ng kasamahan niya (all of his colleagues) are behind him, pero ang help na sinasabi mo kung paano, hindi naman siguro (but we cannot give him any kind of help and how)," he said.
Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor said he believes in the innocence of Perez. He said while the final say in the case is with the courts, his sentiments and sympathies are still with Perez.
Defensor however feels that the charges give Perez the chance to clear his name.
He also dismissed speculations that the Ombudsman's recommendation was just for show to boost the administration's image.
Defensor welcomed the Ombudsman's recommendation as it indicates that government institutions are properly working and shows that they are not biased for anyone.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. continued his defense of Perez saying his predecessor also deserved a day in court to defend himself from the extortion charges filed by Jimenez.
If anything, Gonzalez said, Jimenez also does not come with clean hands and must also be charged.
"He (Jimenez) is a dramatis personae in this case. The better way, I think here, is to indict him also. First, he is the source of the money, so in a way, he is a bribe giver," said Gonzalez.
At the House of Representatives, opposition congressmen said plunder and not graft along with extortion and falsification of public documents should be filed against Perez by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the controversial deal that the Philippines had entered into with the Argentine firm Impsa.
House Deputy Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said while he commended the move taken by the Ombudsman, he does not believe that the filing of the cases is not enough since "there is more (to the matter) than meets the eye."
Cayetano said Perez could have just been a fall guy so those behind the controversial deal would be spared.
Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teodoro Casiño said the biggest question that needs to be answered now is whether the First Couple was involved.
At the Senate, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the impending trial of Perez for graft and extortion might yet open another can of worms against the Arroyo administration.
"It may be a little late but justice is finally catching up with these people responsible for the additional burden that befell us ordinary Filipinos," Lacson said, referring to the lopsided power generation contract with Argentinean firm Impsa that has resulted in unused electricity charges being passed on to end consumers.
Lacson said the actual amount involved in the extortion case was US$14 million and that the US$2 million merely represents Perez's alleged cut in the anomalous transaction.
"The more interesting question is who took part of the US$12 million balance," Lacson said, hinting that the money could have gone "up, down or sideways."
Lacson also said that Justice Secretary Gonzales could be held liable for obstruction of justice when he deliberately withheld information provided by a Swiss prosecutor from the Ombudsman.
He said the information from Switzerland was coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) even before the 2004 elections and consequently to the Department of Justice.
On the other hand, Lacson said Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez should be given credit for finally pushing through with the case against her former boss and despite the indifference of Secretary Gonzalez.
In response, Gonzalez said Lacson has an ax to grind against him.
"They can always charge me if they think I have committed something. That's an old rehashed story brought before the Commission on Appointments, with Lacson himself as chairman of the committee on justice. Why did he not investigate that when he was sitting as chair of the committee on justice, instead of sitting down on my appointment?" he said.
Gonzales admitted that he "sat" on the Perez case because at the time it was first brought to his attention, he has just been appointed to his post and was not familiar with the case.
Gonzalez also advised Perez to break his silence on the matter of his indictment and face the music.
"Meet this head on; there is no other way. You can't hide your head here under the sun. You have to meet it and come out made of sterner stuff," he said.
He added that the justice department might offer to provide legal assistance to Perez. (JMR/ECV/DBP/CPB/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (January 10, 2007 issue)
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