The legal counsel of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo asked Tuesday the Sandiganbayan, the constitutionally-created anti-graft court, to stop the plunder case the Office of the Ombudsman filed on Monday against the incumbent congresswoman of the second district of Pampanga.
 
Attorneys Maria Rosario Z. del Rosario and Christian B. Diaz said that as of Tuesday afternoon neither they nor the former president “received any resolution from the Office of the Ombudsman, on the basis of which any Information for Plunder against accused GMA may be filed with this Honorable Court.”
 
“Accused GMA desires to avail herself of her remedies under the law, foremost of which is the filing of a motion for reconsideration from the adverse resolution. Accused…respectfully pleads that in the meantime, this Honorable Court suspend proceedings and any further action on the said Information for Plunder …including issuance of a warrant of arrest,” Arroyo’s lawyers said.

The plunder information the Ombudsman filed is scheduled to be raffled Friday morning, according to Sandiganbayan Judicial Records Division chief Nelia C. Gallo.
 
In a 43-page resolution filed with the Sandiganbayan, the Ombudsman said Arroyo and former officials of the Commission on Audit and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) took advantage of their government posts and influence to divert nearly P366 million in PCSO.
 
Alleged conspirators in the transfers that took place from January 2008 to June 2010 are:
 

• Former PCSO Board of Directors chairman Sergio O. Valencia;
• Former PCSO general manager Rosario C. Uriarte;
• PCSO directors Manuel L. Morato, Jose R. Taruc, Raymundo T. Roquero and Ma. Fatima A. S. Valdes;
• PCSO budget officer Benigno B. Aguas;
• Former Commission on Audit chairman Reynaldo A. Villar; and
• Former COA-Intelligence Fund Unit head Nilda B. Plaras.

 
The Ombudsman’s case stemmed from a July 2011 complaint lodged by former Akbayan Party-List Rep. Ana Theresia H. Baraquel, retired brigadier general Danilo Lim and lawyer Jaime Regalario of the group Kilusang Makabayang Ekonomiya. — ELR, GMA News