Author Topic: Gloria Arroyo Faces Plunder Case over PCSO Fund Scandal  (Read 595 times)

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Gloria Arroyo Faces Plunder Case over PCSO Fund Scandal
« on: July 12, 2011, 07:38:35 PM »
By Lilybeth G. Ison

MANILA, July 12 (PNA) -- Former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo faces her fourth plunder case filed by two of her colleagues at the House of Representatives for the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds during her term as chief executive.

Bayan Muna party-list Reps. Teodoro Casino and Neri Colmenares filed the case on Tuesday morning before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro personally received the 10-page complaints filed by the Bayan Muna party-list lawmakers.

"This does not just involve stealing money. This involves stealing money from the poor," said Casino after filing the case.

Former PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte, who admitted to requesting a total of P325 million in intelligence funds for the agency from 2008 to 2010, was also charged along with Arroyo.

Uriarte, at the Senate hearing last Wednesday, said that the former president personally allowed the release of the funds, which she claimed to have been used for the agency’s nationwide small town lottery project and as blood money for Filipinos who were in death row in Saudi Arabia.

The Bayan Muna party-list lawmakers accused Arroyo and Uriarte for allegedly violating Articles 217 and 220 of the Revised Penal Code, and Section 3 (e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and Republic Act 7080 or the Plunder Law.

"We come now to accuse former President Arroyo and former PCSO general manager Uriarte of graft, malversation and plunder involving at least P325 million in PCSO funds that should have went to the poor but instead were illegally used for other purposes," said Casino and Colmenares in their complaint.

"Part of these funds may have been used for political largesse, part to retain the loyalty of public officers to the President. Some were most likely used for partisan electoral purposes, and some were amassed as ill-gotten wealth. These disbursements came from illegally diverted and malversed intelligence funds," it said.

The party-list lawmakers specifically cited the P150-million PCSO public relations fund last year, which was realigned as intelligence funds without an appropriate board resolution authorizing the change in the budget.

"Diverting funds from the operational expense, which is subject to regular auditing, to intelligence fund which is not subject to regular auditing, clearly exposes the intention of both Arroyo and Uriarte to disburse said funds without the benefit of regular auditing scrutiny, in violation of our laws," the complaint read.

Casino and Colmenares also said the amount "most likely used for partisan electoral purposes" because 2010 was an election year.

Casimiro vowed to give priority to the case filed by the lawmakers.

Arroyo is facing three more plunder charges in connection with her alleged involvement in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam; the transfer of multi-million funds of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to Philhealth to allegedly boost her presidential campaign in 2004; and the alleged use of the P1.6-billion fertilizer funds (distinct from the P728 million) again for her presidential bid in 2004.

Under Republic Act 7080, a public official can be charged with plunder if he or she "accumulates or acquires ill-gotten wealth through a combination or series of overt or criminal acts" amounting to at least P75 million.

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