Kampi exec axed over alleged bribe attempts

Ronaldo Puno, chairman of the administration party, Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), on Tuesday announced that lawyer Francis Ver has been fired as Kampi deputy secretary general following allegations that the latter tried to bribe Rep. Crispin Beltran to endorse an impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. “I think you can now refer to him as ex-deputy secretary general of Kampi because certainly this is something that Kampi does not countenance," Puno said in a press conference in Malacañang. “It’s really shocking to all of us…I think that there will be unanimity in Kampi in distancing and disavowing and really condemning this kind of activity by anybody especially anybody who purports to speak in the name of the party," he added. In a privilege speech on Tuesday, Beltran accused Ver of trying to bribe him P2 million in exchange for an endorsement of an impeachment complaint against Mrs Arroyo. Ver denied Beltran’s allegation and said that he just went to Congress on Friday to monitor the political moves of lawmakers. After learning about the alleged bribe attempt, Puno said he was surprised by Ver’s sudden change of behavior. “Actually, this is surprising to us kasi hindi naman dating ganyan iyan. He's normally a very quiet person, a UP (university of the Philippines) graduate in law. I’ve never known him to do something as crazy as this," he said. Puno said Ver worked as lawyer at the Department of Interior and Local Government. He was also chief of staff of former Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez. He said that when he was still Antipolo City congressman, Ver worked as lawyer at the House of Representatives, and then as Kampi’s deputy secretary general for the May 14, 2007 elections. Puno said Deputy Speaker Amelita Villarosa told him on Monday that Ver had been talking to congressmen about the impeachment complaint and that the lawmakers were “very upset" about it. He said he also got upset and told Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr that he had nothing to do with whatever Ver was doing. “I immediately thought that whoever did that needs to have his head examined because you know, of all people, if you are going to bribe Ka Bel, it's like bribing the Pope. So that action is really crazy and whoever does that needs to take a long rest in a recuperating facility somewhere," Puno said. Puno denied any knowledge on the bribe attempt, saying, “I don’t know why anybody in his right mind would go around and talk to six different congressmen who are stalwarts of the opposition and try to talk to them about something as crazy as that." - GMANews.TV