Last Monday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales filed before the Sandiganbayan plunder charges against Gloria Arroyo who is now detained at the V. Luna Medical Center and nine others for allegedly pocketing P365, 997,915 from confidential and intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in several transfers from January 2008 to June 2010.
Charged along with Arroyo were former PCSO Board of Directors chairman Sergio O. Valencia; former PCSO general manager Rosario C. Uriarte; former PCSO directors Manuel L. Morato, Jose R. Taruc V, Raymundo T. Roquero and Ma. Fatima A. S. Valdes; former PCSO budget officer Benigno B. Aguas; former Commission on Audit chairman Reynaldo A. Villar; and former COA-Intelligence Fund Unit head Nilda B. Plaras.
It’s good that COA officials have been included for being complicit to the crime. Their job is supposed to fiscalize government expenditures to make sure that government funds are spent according to the law.
They were remiss in their job and they deserve to be included in the case.
The case was based on the complaint filed by Bayan Muna, Akbayan and Kilusang Makabayang Ekonomiya.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño hailed the filing of the case even if it took more than a year.
“This is good development considering that the Ombudsman struck with our original charge of plunder and we hope that the case can now move faster,” he said referring to the plunder case involving the NBN-ZTE deal which the Ombudsman downgraded to graft, which is bailable.
It took the Aquino administration two years to file this first plunder case.
Carpio-Morales is known to be rigorous and would not be filing half-baked cases that would have a high chance of being dismissed.
Those who want to hold Arroyo accountable for her crimes against the Filipino people can now heave a sigh of relief that even if Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court grants bail to Arroyo or even dismisses the electoral sabotage case on the 2007 election, she still would remain in detention once the Sandiganbayan finds existence of probable cause for plunder and issues an arrest warrant within 10 days after the filing of the case.
Plunder, which is pocketing government funds P50 million and more, is a capital offense and requires mandatory detention for all defendants without bail for the duration of the trial. The penalty is reclusion perpetua which is imprisonment from 20 years and one day to 40 years.
Government prosecutors handling the electoral sabotage case against Arroyo may now stop bending the law and at the expense of the victims of the Maguindano massacre and other electoral fraud cases just to keep Arroyo in detention.
The 2007 electoral sabotage case has already served the purpose of the Aquino government, which was to keep Arroyo in detention pending the filing of another unbailable case.
But I would still want Arroyo to be accountable what for me is her greatest crime against the Filipino people, which was the stealing of presidency in the 2004 elections. Archbishop Oscar Cruz calls it Arroyo’s “original sin.”
It would not be electoral sabotage because that became a law only in 2007. There should be a law that she violated. Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act? Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees?
It should be put on record that she was convicted for stealing the presidency.
Not once, but twice! Grabbing it from Erap & stole it from FPJ…….
Finally, the day of reckoning is at hand!
Within 2-years of President Pnoy, seems He is serious in cleansing the country from plunderers, corruptions made by the (said) fake president, of almost 10-years..She is too small, yet, too big in making “crimes” against the Filipino People. We need to wish “more” of her cohorts would fall like “dominos”.Its tough for a country to make changes and difference if these, plunderers would be free, and not being charge of their mistakes..This are steps, in the challenge of, “Enough is Enough “!..
Is it possible,…the harassment of China in some Islands owned by the country, are related to her very strong “covenant with the chinese” during her 9-1/2 years term, that “mostly frustrated”, when Pnoy Aquino came in as President??..Just an opinion?…
Within 2-years of President Pnoy, seems He is serious in cleansing the country from plunderers, corruptions made by the (said) fake president, of almost 10-years..She is too small, yet, too big in making “crimes” against the Filipino People. We need to wish “more” of her cohorts would fall like “dominos”.Its tough for a country to make changes and difference if these, plunderers would be free, and not being charge of their mistakes..These are steps, in the challenge of, “Enough is Enough “!..
Is it possible,…the harassment of China in some Islands owned by the country, are related to her very strong “covenant with the chinese” during her 9-1/2 years term, that “mostly frustrated”, when Pnoy Aquino came in as President??..Just an opinion?…
GMA to bishops: Pray for me. sinong bishop? ang binigyan mo ng Pajero. O si Oscar Cruz na contra sa iyo.
Ang tagal nating hinintay ang balitang ito. Sa pamamagitan nitong blog ni ET, dito ko sinimulang magpahayag ng saloobin laban sa graft ridden at hindi magandang pamamalakad ng administrasyong Arroyo. Dito rin natin nakaisang damdamin ang ilang bloggers hanggang maging matalik na kaibigan bagaman at pawa kami nasa iba’t ibang lugar. Sana ang inaabangan nating pagtatapos ng mala teleseryeng kwento ng pekeng pangulo ay naaayon sa inaasahang hatol na.. GUILTY!
Papanagutin na iyan. Tuluyan ng makulong. Nag ambisyon kasi na maging Pangulo kaya iyan ang napala. Sikat na sikat pa naman siya noong hindi pa pangulo ng bansa. Maraming humahanga. Sayang ka GMA. Nawala ang paghanga ko sa iyo.
Mayaman ka na, may pera, makakabili ng kung ano ang naisin tapos naghangad ka pa maging presidente. Iyan tuloy ang napala mo. Aanhin mo pa ngayon ang napakarami mong pera kung hindi mo naman ma enjoy iyon kasi nakakakulong ka. Aanhin mo ang napakarami mong pera kung hindi mo naman iyon magamit kasi nasa selda ka.
Minsan ay sumuko na ako, joeseg. Tanggap ko na na hindi ko makikita sa aking buhay na mapaparusahan ang kasamaaang mala-Kanser na sumira sa hustisya at sa buong gobyerno at bumulok sa moralidad na siyang kaluluwa ng lahing Pinoy.
Ngayon, may pag-asa na naman.
Ano ba yan nangingitlog sa VMMC? Tama na yang awa ng ilang may political agenda. Ano ba ang pagkakaiba ni Abalos kay Gloria? Babae nga yang si pandak pero ginahasa ang bayan ng 9 years……. ikulong na yan!
Naki-usap sa mga Obispo na ipagdasal daw siya.
Dumating na daw kasi ang sitswasyon na di niya ma-control at di na mababago.
Either umaamin ang dupang na ito pero mas lamang ang nagpapa-awa lang.
Laging nasa huli ang magsisi, iyan ang kalagayan ngayon ni GMA, at kanyang mga “kampon”..Yuong isa, nag-bigti sa harap ng puntod ng Ina, di kaya ng konsyensa, ang pagkaka-mali nya, na sumapi sa kampo nitong GMA admin…Siguro naman sa loob ng 6-na taon ni Pangulong Pnoy, linis-na linis na ang bansa sa mga taong, naging swapang at ganid sa “pera” at kapangyarihan..
Saludo po kami ki Ombudsman Morales Carpio, isa syang tunay na lingkod ng Bayan, at tunay na Bayani, na nagmamahal sa bansang Pilipinas..Sana ang Diyos ay gabayan sya ng mabuti, sa araw-araw nyang paglalakad, at sa kanyang mahirap na tungkulin para ki Juan de la Cruz..GOD Bless, the Ombudsman!
Bilang OFW dito sa Saudi ay natutuwa ako sa nangyayari sa ating bayan. Sa tingin ko ay may magandang mangyayari sa ting bayan dahil sa pamumuno ni Pnoy. Dumami pa sana ang katulad mo Mr. President.
Anyayahan ko rin ang mga kababayan natin dito sa wedsite ni Madam Ellen Tordisillas para maipahiwatig namin ang aming damdamin at makibalita narin sa mga sensitibong paksa sa ating bayang Pilipinas.
Mabuhay ka Pnoy, at ikaw rin Madam Ellen sa iyong website
this only shows that there is no exemption when it comes to corruption rooting from greed of power.
tingnan ninyo, ilan ang babae diyan sa mga kakutsaba ni gloria arroyo na dapat ay nagkaroon sana ng pagdadalawang isip bago nakipagsabwatan sa kanya?
apat na babae at isang binabae?
magkakapatid nga.
magnanakaw. sinungaling. alanganin.
“I was asked by the President to attend this forum to make a plea to the bishops to please help her pray for courage. Courage to accept the things she could no longer change,” Arroyo’s counsel Anacleto Diaz told yesterday’s forum of the Catholic Media Network (CMN) held in Intramuros…”
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=828649&publicationSubCategoryId=63
sino’ng PRESIDENTE daw ‘yun?
naging presidente ba ‘yun?
di nga?
siguro meron na namang pinadalang bayong ng pera para ipagdasala siya.
naku, EWAN!
#6 joeseg, Si Gloria ang Isyu… pa rin. The havoc that she brought to Pinas is beyond belief!
#16 Mags, na naman! Nawala na ang red button nya sa kanyang dios siguro. Dati kasi nakakausap nya ng direkto ang dios nya baka ngayon ay kailangan ang tulong ng mga recipients ng brown bag. Nawala na rin yata si Medeprensya.
Salamat kay Ginang Morales-Carpio, nagkabuhay ang patay ko ng pag-asa na makasuhan si Gloria ng plunder.
#9 tongue, grabe Pilipino mo…taob kami, tumimo ng husto. 🙂
Humihingi na ng dasal si Gloria sa Obispos, natakot na rin sa plunder kasi tototohanin sya ni Mrs. Morales-Carpio.
Long overdue.
#9
Tongue, huwag ka naman mawalan ng pagasa. Habang may buhay ay may pagasa, tandaan mo yan. 😀
Sana nga lang, maabutan pa niyang buhay pa siya na naghihimas ng malamig na rehas sa bilibid. 😛
Just a little late but better late than never.
One has to admire the ala-“rolex” precision timing for the scheduled reporting again to the nation. Bravo to them! And what’s the best occassion to deliver the most awaited news if not the SONA.
With not much to talk about beyond what everybody already knows, this will serve as the sweetener and cream of the report.
One of the accused, Raymundo Roquero, is my province mate.He is from Valderrama, Antique. I think his wife is the mayor of Valderrama.
Ray is the ultimate survivor. He was a sports reporter in the 70’s. He helped our former congressman, Arturo Pacificador, who was the political opponent of Evelio Javier,with his media during Marcos time.
I met him again during the campaign of Fidel Ramos. He was with the media bureau of FVR. Then he was appointed in the Philippine Sports Commission where he was also involved in some supply irregularities but he got cleared.
He endeared himself to Jinggoy Estrada when Jinggoy was president of the Mayors’ League of the Philippines during Estrada’s presidency. Kaya malakas din yun during the Estrada administration.
Then he became part of the staff of presidential for political affairs Gabby Claudio during Arroyo’s time. Sila yung taga-bigay ng supot whenever there are meetings in Malacanang-congressmen, members of the church, teachers, et. etc. He got appointed in the PCSO.
I won’t be surprised if he comes out of this case, whole snd unscathed,always amiable and smiling.It’s difficult to get angry with Ray because he is nice.
I won’t even be surprised if he resurfaces with with an appointment in another government agency. I’ve seen some of Gloria Arroyo’s henchmen in Malacanang now.
Mas matindi kung si Gloria mismo ang ma-clear sa kala-lobby ng kanyang henchmen na kinupkop na ng Malacanang ngayon. Hindi imposibleng mangyari, kung hindi man transactional dealings ang mangyari ay dahil sa aanga-anga sila sa Palasyo.
eto caption ng pic above:
GMA: hmmm, isoli mo sa akin yang diamond earrings ko ha.
RU : Ma’m naman balato mo na lang sa akin ito, milyones naman ang nakulimbat natin sa pcso ah. hahahaha
ellen, ibig mo bang sabihin just because of his padrinos and kapits, maabsuwelto si roquero?
di, hindi din pala o walang pagkakaiba noong mga nagdaang administrasyon ang kasalukuyang gobyerno ni penot, este PeNoy?
huwag na lang bungkalin ang kasong ‘yan, kung ganu’n din lang.
# 9.
Tongue, sumuko ka na ule! napapaligiran ka naming dalawa ni joeseg. lumabas ka diyan nang nakataas ang dalawang kamay, hindi ‘yung nakapamulsa. minsan mo na kaming ginoyo. akala namin granada hawak mo, ‘yun pala siyopaw. bigla kang kumarimot ng takbo at kinain mong mag-isa ang siyopaw!
may pag-asa ka pang sinasabi. palpak naman. bumaha na ule!
basta arroyo, hindi dapat pagkatiwalaan:
FILIPINO CASE OFFICER SA SAUDI INIREKLAMO NG PANGGIGIPIT SA OFW
http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/jul1912/abroad01.htm
Nakalimutan na yung fertilizer scam, lusot din siya sa NBN-ZTE deal, hindi niya malulusutan ang lahat ng pagnanakaw niya. Somehow, there were loose ends in her stealing ways. The pandak, along with her husband and family should give back all the stolen money to the Filipinos. Ipagpatayo ng mga paaralan, create housing projects for the poor and create more jobs for the the Filipinos.
It took sometime to come up with this plunder case, I hope this will stick and the pandak and her family should be all jailed!
The fat guy is grinning from ear to ear kasi si pandak lang ang nakakasuhan. It is a common knowledge that he is actually the real master mind in all these crimes. Pandak just enabled him to get away with all the loot. Kaya nga panay ang punta sa HK. Panay ang withdraw or repositioning of their loot.
chi: (#19) May pagka melodramatic nga yata pagkakasulat ko. heheh. At malalim ang Tagalog ha. Well, gaya ni Ellen, nabababawan ako sa kasong election sabotage. Kundi lang mainit ang dugo ni Mupas diyan kay Putot matagal nang binigyan ng bail yan.
Sana nga ay dahil matibay na ang kaso kaya isinampa ni Morales.
Sana nga ay hindi dahil malapit na ang SONA.
Magno (#29) Ano kamo, napapaligiran ninyo ako ni Joeseg? Paanong mangyayari yun? Marami ako! Langya, pinatulan pa yung drama ko e.
Masama na naman siguro ihip ng hangin diyan, hindi ka na naman pinasiping ng nobya mong camel ‘no?
Ellen, si Valencia diba yung asawa ni Tina Revilla? Bakit nag ba hindi nasilip yun noon? Asawa ng presidente ng PCSO, announcer ng bola sa Lotto!
Marami rin akong ipinatalo noon sa Lotto, di kaya ako nabola?
Yung Jose Taruc V, si Joe Taruc ba yan ng DZRH?
Tongue, I gathered that Jose Taruc V is a son of Joe Taruc of DZRH. May ka-chat ako, a friend from San Leonardo NE, and he told me that in 2007, the younger Taruc run for vice governor in Nueva Ecija but lost. I recall that Joe Taruc was a favorite broadcaster of GMA but we are not saying that it has something to do with the appointment of his son as board director of PCSO. Sabi pa ng friend ko, the youngest director pala itong si Jose Taruc V to be named to the PCSO. Qualified naman siguro. Alam nating nag-appoint din si GMA noon ng kanyang hairdresser as PAGIBIG director.
Re#36 : Yes, Tina Revilla is the wife of Serge Valencia. The mother is an Osmeña.
So it’s Tina who hosts the televised drawing of lotto winners. I don;t watch it kasi.
There’s really conflict of interest there.During Arroyo’s time kasi those things – ethics, conflict of interest – were ignored.
Still #36: Yes, Joe Taruc V is the son of Joe Taruc of DZRH.
There was another reporter of DZRH who played who did work for PCSO.I’m not sure if he was given an official designation because there were ethical issues involved.
#36. Tongue, ano palagay mo sa akin pumapatol sa kamukha ni goyang?
ano, dyas dyas? hindi ako kaladkarin, oy!
habang may mga katulad nang mga “nabulag” ni goyang na hanggang ngayon ay nand’yan katulad nina suarez, hindi mapuputol ang mga kaaliwaswasan sa gobyerno.
kahit sa paligid ni PeNoy, ganu’n din.
hirap kasi sa mga napapatalagang nangagsitulong sa pagkakapanalo sa eleksiyon kapag napapuwesto na ay mga nagiging antatsabol!
Most of these people FEAR nothing! Halos lahat can get away with their crimes, almost any crime. Just look at the impeached and convicted Corona, grinning ear to ear with all his loots intact.
Yung mga kaibigan ko MPR na winos, they are claustrophobic when it comes to Closed Spaces, that’s their FEAR. Pag pumunta sa Liqour Store, they all FEAR the space is closed, hehe….
so, what’s the use nga of filing cases and convicting these people kung ang mangyayari ay hindi na nga ipini-freeze ang assets at mga kayamanan ay defrost na kaagad?
aba’y sino nga ang mangingilag doon sa dapat na hindi pangilagan?
# 42-True Blue, Tama ka!…Strong Heart and Iron hands dapat! !..Maybe, if Gen Danny Lim become a President or Sen. Sonny Trillanes, they know what to do !..They were tough and know how to make changes and make the difference, based from who they are, from their past history or records…Lets try doing away, the ” politicians ” who have no “bulls” or Iron Hands to follow their rules, as chosen leaders of the Nation..Many are,”hunyango or chameleons”..my penny worth of thoughts..