Anti-corruption advocates say new Ombudsman’s first task is to prosecute Gloria and other “utak-wangwangs”
Even before newly appointed Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales could step in her new office, anti-corruption advocates already have an important assignment for the new chief of the anti-corruption body.
A day after the 2nd State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Simeon Aquino, Akbayan Party Spokesperson Risa Hontiveros, former Brigadier General Danilo Lim and social activist Jimmy Regalario filed plunder and malversation charges against former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and several others concerning their alleged misuse of P325-million intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
They said the prosecution of Arroyo and other “utak wangwangs” is the first important undertaking Carpio-Morales must accomplish.
“We warmly receive the appointment of Carpio-Morales as the new ombudsman. I hope she doesn’t mind that even as we welcome her appointment we already filed this case. Alam namin naghahanda pa lamang ang bagong tanodbayan but I hope she understands that the momentum to pursue all plunderers including Gloria must be sustained. We are confident that the new ombudsman is with us on this matter,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros also said they are seeking the life sentence for Arroyo.
“As was evident in the Senate hearings, what we have with the PCSO intelligence funds is a very systematic and thorough effort through which the previous administration and its henchmen in PCSO robbed the most needy Filipinos from what should have been their lifelines,” Hontiveros pointed out. “For this, Gloria deserves to languish in jail for life.”
The complaint used evidence culled from senate hearings investigating the unwarranted use of PCSO intelligence funds to charge Arroyo, former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, former PCSO Vice-Chair and General Manager Rosario Uriarte, the former members of the PCSO Board of Directors Sergio Valencia, Jose R. Taruc V, Raymundo T. Roquero, and Ma. Fatima A.S. Valdes and Manuel Morato, and former Commission on Audit (COA) Chair Reynaldo Villar with malversation of public funds, violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act, and plunder.
When asked about the strength of the case against Arroyo, Hontiveros pointed out that the “evidence is damning that Gloria cashed in on charity funds.”
“The evidence is very strong in this case that Gloria has abused public office to amass wealth. She led the creation of intelligence funds that are beyond the mandate of the PCSO, and she authorized the anomalous disbursement of millions of charity money through this fund, with the paper trail largely inconsistent or incomplete,” Hontiveros explained.
“Ninakawan ba ni Gloria ang sambayanang Pilipino? Hindi ka na maaring magkamali pa sa kasong ito, oo nagnakaw si Gloria,” Hontiveros added.
Hontiveros also explained that that the group’s hopes were high that this is the “beginning of the end for Arroyo and her henchmen.”
“Tulad na rin ng sabi ni Presidente Aquino, tapos na ang mga maliligayang araw ng mga utak-wangwang. The anti-corruption momentum is strong. We have replaced Arroyo’s gatekeeper at the ombudsman’s office with a new ombudsman with strong moral character and expertise. Left and right whistle blowers are revealing their damning accounts of grand-scale corruption in the previous administration. And finally, we have a case that will call GMA to account for morally-bankrupt leadership and plunder,” Hontiveros concluded. ###
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