Bagong kaso vs Gloria Arroyo, isinampa; Napoles, 20 iba pa, kasama

Sinampahan ng panibagong plunder case sa Office of the Ombudsman ng National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) si dating Pangulo at ngayo’y Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Kasamang kinasuhan nitong Huwebes ang negosyanteng si Janet Lim-Napoles, at 20 iba pa kaugnay ng umano’y anomalya sa P900 milyong royalties mula sa Malampaya gas fund.

Kasama rin sa reklamo ng NBI sina dating Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, dating Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, Undersecretary Rafael Nieto, DAR finance officer Teresita Panlilio, dating Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya at Undersecretary Mario Relampagos.
 
Nakasaad sa reklamo ng NBI na batay sa testimonya ng mga whistle-blowers na dating tauhan ni Napoles, pineke ang pirma ng may 97 alkalde para makakuha ng pondo upang matulungan umano ang mga kababayan nilang biktima ng mga bagyong Pepeng at Ondoy noong 2009.

“As a result of this whole scheme of diverting the P900 million Malampaya Fund allotted to DAR to Napoles NGOs on the basis of manufactured and fake letter-requests from Mayors and MOAS (memorandum of agreement), kickbacks or commissions amounting to P337,775,000 were distributed all around to public officials,” ayon sa reklamo.

Sinasabing nakatanggap umano si Pangandaman P75 milyong cash, P14 milyon kay Panlilio, at P6 milyon kay Nieto.

Sa pulong balitaan matapos ihain ang reklamo, sinabi ni Justice Sec. Leila de Lima, na isang Ruby Tuason ang nakatanggap umano ng P242.775 milyon pero hindi pa alam kung sino ang kaniyang “principal.”

“We believe that the former President and the former executive secretary used Executive Order 848 for the approval of requests made five days before the issuance of the Executive Order. Kaya sa tingin din po namin, sabit din po sila,” ayon sa kalihim.

Naka-hospital arrest ngayon sa Veterans Memorial Hospital sa Quezon City dahil sa hiwalay na mga kasong plunder na nakabinbin sa Sandiganbayan, at electoral sabotage sa regular na korte.
 
Samantala, sa ilalim ng ikalawang Executive Order, pinahintulutan umano ni Arroyo ang Budget Department na magpalabas ng pondo mula sa Malampaya Gas Project para sa mga programang tinukoy ng Palasyo.

“The release of the SARO (special allotment release order) and the NCA (notice of cash allocation) would not have been possible were it not for the hastily issued EO, which invalidly liberalized the exploitation of the Malampaya fund for purposes not contemplated by existing laws, and the latter’s approval of the request for authority of Secretary Andaya,” ayon kay De Lima.
 
Dagdag ng kalihim, “As a result of the conspiratorial acts of DBM and DAR officials with Napoles, said conspirators pocketed the amount or total value of P900 million supposedly intended for the relief operations, rehabilitation, reconstruction and other work and services to areas affected by natural calamities.”

“In sum, the DAR Malampaya Fund projects intended to rehabilitate farmer-beneficiary victims of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng were all ghost projects with no delivery whatsoever,” nakasaad sa reklamo ng NBI.

“The NBI recommends to the Office of the Ombudsman that the respondents… be subjected to the corresponding preliminary investigation for purposes of filing the corresponding charges before the Sandganbayan,” ayon pa dito.

Bukod sa mga documentary record mula sa Securities and Exchange Commission at Department of Agrarian Reform,  isinama ng NBI bilang ebidensiya ang mga testimonya ng mga dating JLN employees na sina Benhur Luy, Merlina Suñas, Gertrudes Luy, Marina Sula, at Arlene Baltazar.
 
Kasama rin sa reklamo sina Candaba Mayor Rene Maglangue, Angelita Cacanta, Nilda Baui, Ronald Venacio, at Dominador Sison, Jr.
 
Depensa ni Arroyo
 
Iginiit naman ng kampo ni Arroyo, na ginamit ng tama ng dating pangulo ang Malampaya funds sa panahon ng panunungkulan nit.
 
“As far as the former President is concerned, the twenty-plus billion Malampaya funds were authorized pursuant to the purposes and policies mandated by the provisions of PD (Presidential Decree) 910,” nakasaad sa ipinadalang text message sa GMA News Online ni Atty. Raul Lambino, chief of staff ni Arroyo.

Ang tinutukoy ni Lambino ay ang Marcos-era order na naglalaman ng panuntunan sa paggamit ng Malampaya funds, na dapat ay nakalaan sa mga energy-related projects.
 
Idinagdag niya na hihintayin nila ang magiging aksiyon ng Ombudsman bago sila gagawa ng susunod ng hakbang.
 
Samantala, sinabi naman ni Atty. Leonardo Pastrana, abogado ni Pangandaman, na hihintayin muna nilang makakuha ng kopya ng complaint-affidavit bago magbigay ng pahayag.

“But we will certainly address the complaint,” pagtiyak niya.

‘Di ako pinagpaliwanag’ --  Andaya

Samantala, iginiit ni Andaya na ginawa lang niya ang kaniyang trabaho na magpalabas ng pondo na naayon sa batas at kaniyang tungkulin bilang pinuno ng DBM.

Hindi man lang umano kinuha ng NBI ang kaniyang testimonya para maipaliwanag ang kaniyang panig habang ginagawa ng ahensiya ang kanilang imbestigasyon.

“I wasn’t allowed to confront my accusers or respond to the charges against me. I have volunteered myself to any investigation. But not even a text was sent to me as an invitation. I was open for a grilling. Ang linya ko nga, grill me. I even gave hints that I was always ready to give a statement or an affidavit. Just one text or phone call, I would be there.  My offer for help was dejected, what happened next was file now, investigate later,” giit ni Andaya na kongresista na ngayon.

Ayon pa sa dating kalihim, suportado ng executive order ang ginawa niyang pagtugon na pagpalabas ng pondo mula sa Malampaya funds.

“Looking back, the release of Malampaya fund was covered by an executive order, based on what has been agreed or approved in the Cabinet meeting. The DBM only releases funds after reviewing all the documents and determine the need or the beneficiaries – in this case, the typhoon victims,” paliwanag niya.

“Hindi ko naman akalain na meron palang mga taong nakaabang na sa dulo na pagsasamantalahan ang isang trahedya para kumita ng pera at gumawa ng raket,” dagdag pa niya.

Babala ni Andaya, maaaring maging masamang precedent ang pagsasama sa kaniya sa kaso dahil maaari na ring kasuhan sa susunod ang iba pang opisyal ng DBM kahit pa ministerial lamang ang kanilang trabaho sa pagpapalabas ng pondo.

“As DBM chief, you always presume that all funding requirements are above board – always with the presumption of regularity. The only guidance that you could give to the people or agencies entrusted with the people’s money is that they should follow all budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and , of course, the procurement law –which I followed to the letter,” paliwanag pa ni Andaya.

Iginiit din ng dating kalihim na wala naman ang pangalan niya sa sinumpaang salaysay na ibinigay ng mga sinasabing whistleblower.

“In the first case filed on behalf of the whistleblowers which has 500,000 pages, not one alphabet of my name was mentioned. The whistleblowers said they have never seen me or talked to me. Napoles doesn’t know me and not even a paparazzi’s photograph could dispute this,” ayon kay Andaya.

“If the so-called masterminds are the ones saying that I have no direct involvement in the plunder of Malampaya funds, why I am now being dragged into this? Why am I being made as co-accused if evidence show that my only participation is the expediency in the manner of the release of the funds to alleviate the miseries of the typhoon victims?” tanong pa niya sabay giit na hindi siya nakinabang sa sinasabing pondo.

“Kahit kusing, di ako nakinabang dyan. Ang kasalanan ko lang ay pagsunod sa utos at batas  na bigyan ng tulong ang mga biktima ng baha. My participation was similar to providing funds to buy rice to feed the hungry but after an investigation, the receipts showed liquor purchases. Thus, now I’m an accomplice?,” pahayag pa ni Andaya.

Kasama ring kinasuhan ng NBI ang mga pinuno at mga tauhan ng mga sinasabing NGOs ni Napoles na sina: 

• Evelyn De Leon
• Jesus Castillo of Dalangpan Sang Amon Utod Kag Kasimanwa Foundation
• Lilian Espanol of Saganang Buhay sa Atin Foundation
• Genevieve Uy of Kasaganahan para sa Magsasaka Foundation
• Ronald John Lim of Ginintuang Alay sa Magsasaka Foundation
• Eulogio Rodriguez of Gintong Pangkabuhayan Foundation
• Lorna Ramirez of Masaganang Buhay Foundation
• Ronald Francisco Lim of Micro Agri Business Citizens Initiative
• Simplicio Gumafelix of Karangyaan para sa Magbubukid Foundation
• John Raymond de Asis of Kaupdanan para sa Mangunguma Foundation.

Una rito, iniugnay si Napoles sa umano’y maanomalyang paggamit ng ilang mambabatas sa kanilang Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) na kilala rin sa tawag na pork barrel funds. – RP/FRJ, GMA News