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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Lawmaker names Kampi official behind P2M bribe offer
MANILA –- Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran identified a deputy secretary general of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) as supposed Malacañang operator who attempted to bribe him with P2 million last Friday in exchange for his signature endorsing the impeachment complaint against the President.
In a privilege speech at the height of plenary debates on the proposed P1.227 trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2008, Beltran revealed the name of lawyer Francis Ver, secretary general of Kampi, as the one who made the offer.
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Kampi is a political party headed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Initially, Beltran said he was offered P1 million by Ver and later turned P2 million. Both attempts happened last Friday.
“At first I thought that Mr. Ver was not serious, so I simply told him that I am busy and couldn't entertain him because among the agenda in the plenary is the deliberation of the budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR),” said Beltran.
Ver was the former chief of staff of former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno when the local government chief was still the representative of Antipolo City.
Beltran said he replied to Ver that he would have to consult his party allies was a polite way of rejecting the offer.
Beltran said later that day, he learned that lawyer Rafael Pulido filed the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo for betrayal of public trust in relation to the cancelled National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corporation.
Neophyte Laguna Representative Edgar San Luis, who denies membership with Kampi, endorsed Pulido’s impeachment complaint.
The minority bloc has said the Pulido complaint is obviously meant to preempt a real complaint, which could emanate from House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.’s camp.
Opposition congressmen expressed belief that it (complaint) was aimed at giving the President a one year protection and in turn allow her allies to launch a bold ouster move against the Speaker.
Article 10, Section 3 of the Constitution states that no impeachment proceeding shall be initiated against the same official for more than once within a period of one year.
The Palace-de Venecia showdown is an offshoot of the allegation of the Speaker’s son Jose "Joey" de Venecia III that First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo pointed a finger at his face in telling him to back off from the NBN project.
The young de Venecia is co-founder of Amsterdam Holdings Incorporated (AHI), the only company that had offered to undertake the NBN through a build-operate-transfer scheme, which the Speaker stressed, was the best mode for the project.
Beltran criticized Malacañang for insulting him and the whole Congress as its co-equal branch to protect the President and her husband.
House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora has said Beltran is just one of the six opposition members who have been offered money and pork hefty barrel releases in exchange for endorsing the complaint.
On Monday, Representatives Dan Fernandez of Laguna and Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro admitted that they were among the six.
Representative Florencio Noel of An Waray party-list also admitted that someone identified with the administration has approached him for the same purpose. He, however, said he was not offered money unlike the rest.
Gabriela party-list Representative Luzviminda Ilagan called for an investigation by the ethics committee.
“Congress should lose no time in getting into the bottom of the sinister impeachment ploy initiated by Malacañang,” she said.
Sorsogon Representative Jose Solis, Kampi regional chairman for Bicol, denied that Ver was acting on party’s orders. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. (October 10, 2007 issue)
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