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Saturday, February 16, 2008
Ombud summons FG Arroyo to NBN hearing
MANILA -- The Office of the Ombudsman has summoned First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo to attend its public hearings on the National Broadband Network (NBN) controversy on Monday.
Aside from Arroyo, the panel formed by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez also issued notice of hearing Friday to Commission on Higher Education (Ched) chairman Romulo Neri, former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., and son Jose "Joey" de Venecia III.
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Complainants former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr., Akbayan party-list Representative Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel, Cibac party-list Representative Joel Villanueva, Fr. Jose Dizon, and lawyers Harry Roque, Roel Pulido, and Oliver Lozano were also invited to appear at the hearing Monday.
Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro, chairman of the panel assigned to consolidate all complaints filed against officials in the aborted deal, set the first hearing on Monday at 10 a.m.
Gutierrez earlier vowed to look deeper into the case and file appropriate charges in court if evidence warrants it, "regardless of who gets hurt."
She stressed that the investigation was initiated to erase misconceptions that her office is sleeping on its job.
"Definitely we will be filing cases if we have the evidence. We don't want to lose our cases in court," she said.
Gutierrez also formed another panel to investigate the abduction of NBN-ZTE star witness Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr.
She said Lozada would be invited to the hearings to shed light on his allegations that armed men abducted him when he arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) from Hong Kong last February 5.
The other panel chaired by lawyer Dennis Garcia of Ombudsman's military and other law enforcement offices section will look into the alleged abduction.
Gutierrez said she would ask the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to submit to the Ombudsman the transcript of testimonies of witnesses and documents it gathered to help the anti-graft body in its investigation.
According to Ruy Rondain, lawyer of the FG Arroyo, they would still await the invitation from the Ombudsman before deciding on whether the President's husband would accept and attend the hearing.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hoped that the Ombudsman would be as transparent and as thorough as it can on its investigations.
She acknowledged that the Ombudsman is a constitutional body that is separate and independent from the executive branch.
"I cannot comment more on this until the reviews are complete, expect to say that I trust that the Ombudsman will investigate this issue thoroughly and I trust that she (Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez) will ensure a transparent process in doing so," she said.
The President, during Friday's Philippine Economic Forum at the Shangri-la Hotel in Makati City, also directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to proceed with its own investigation focusing on personalities that are not under the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman.
President Arroyo instructed Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. to also be as "thorough and transparent in his investigation."
She stressed that she has taken these allegations seriously, which is why she has cancelled the deal since last year.
"We take the ZTE issue very seriously. I moved quickly to cancel the project as soon as I could, after proper consultation with the government of China, which after all is our largest export market. We want to fight corruption," she said.
President Arroyo cancelled the contract in October 2007 during his visit in Shanghai.
She further said these allegations of corruption and irregularities in government contracts are not new nor is it exclusive to her administration.
"Let me note that these types of charges have regularly emerged even in previous administration as part of our less than impressive political culture. I just hope that these set of charges would not be a political football," she said.
Mrs. Arroyo stressed that her administration does not tolerate corruption, adding that there is no room in developing country like the Philippines "for wasting money on corruption when so much needs to be done to invest in the nation."
"It is a sad fact that the Philippines has a legacy of political corruption. While that legacy will not be erased overnight, we have made tremendous strides. We have made anti-corruption one of the key areas of focus for reform in the remainder of our term," she said.
She added that such measure includes the creation of the Anti-Red Tape Task Force headed by Trade Secretary Peter Favila, and the Procurement Transparency Group headed by Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr.
"So the reforms are underway," the President assured.
Obstruction of justice
Senator Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal meanwhile filed charges of violating Presidential Decree (PD) 1829 or Penalizing Obstruction of Apprehension and Prosecution of Criminal Offenders Friday against 14 individuals including President Arroyo, Neri, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Environment Secretary Jose Atienza Jr., former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor, and National Police Chief Avelino Razon Jr.
Also charged were Presidential adviser for special concern Remedios Poblador; Paul Mascariñas of the Police Security Protection Office; Rodolfo Valeroso of the Aviation Security Group; Angel Atututbo, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) assistant general manager for security and emergency services; Octaviano Lina, MIAA assistant general manager for operations; Manuel Gaite, deputy executive secretary for legal affairs; Marcelino Agana IV, staff from the Office for the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs; and private lawyer Antonio Bautista.
Malacañang branded mere political gimmickry the obstruction of justice filed by Madrigal.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said it is a sad development and smells of "grandstanding at the very least and forum shopping at best."
Fajardo said they are wondering why Madrigal filed the charges when their own investigation in the Senate, which is supposed to be in aid of legislation, has not yet been concluded.
She said she sees the filing of the case as serving no one's interest, adding that it would even in fact further muddle the ongoing Senate investigation.
"We wonder why Senator Jamby (Madrigal) cannot wait for the results of the blue ribbon committee's findings. Is she afraid that they don't have enough evidence to cause the filing of a case after the committee report? Is that why she has to jump the gun against her fellow opposition senators?" she asked.
Fajardo said it is either that Madrigal does not trust his fellow senators or she simply wants to "pull the rug from under Senator (Alan Peter) Cayetano's feet and monopolize media attention." (JMR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (February 16, 2008 issue)
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