By Michael Punongbayan
The Philippine Star
Following a series of negative reports on the First Family’s wealth based partly on their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, the Office of the Ombudsman has tightened rules in giving out copies of government officials’ SALN “to protect the integrity of the document.”
Graft rap filed vs Mikey Arroyo
By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily InquirerMilitant government workers have filed with the Ombudsman a graft complaint against Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo for not declaring his P63.7-million property in California in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
“With the small salary he gets, it is unacceptable that his assets more than tripled,” said Ferdinand Gaite, president of the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage), which filed the complaint at 12 noon Thursday
Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni said the Ombudsman field investigation unit has already been looking into Arroyo’s assets after receiving an anonymous online complaint against him weeks ago.
Instead of a simple letter-request, requirements now include a sworn statement before a prosecutor of the anti-graft body stating the reasons for the request.
Assistant Ombudsman Jose de Jesus Jr. said an applicant has to declare under oath his or her purpose in order to ensure that SALNs “will not be used for harassment.”
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez’s Memorandum Circular No. 1 signed on June 16, 2009 also requires the presentation of two government-issued identification cards.
“While the Office of the Ombudsman is willing to furnish copies (of the SALNs) of public officials and employees to persons requesting for the same, the reason for the same
Gutierrez said requests for copies of SALNS will only be granted if it will be used for study purposes in school, when it will be disseminated to the general public through news, or if a court or any other quasi-judicial agency asks for it.
“This office is cognizant of the fact that in other times the request is made under circumstances which may endanger, diminish, or destroy the independence and objectivity of the Office of the Ombudsman and its officials in the performance of their quasi-judicial functions and expose them to revenge for adverse decisions,” the memorandum circular states.
“We have set rules for the purpose of attending to public and media requests for copies. We just want to make sure that we are giving them out for legitimate purposes,” De Jesus told The STAR.
“We are just laying out requirements,” he said, adding that the Office of the Ombudsman is not making it hard for the public or the media to gain access to a public document.
“We just would like to make sure that the request is legitimate and the copy will be used for a legitimate purpose and not for harassment or a fishing expedition,” he stressed.
Procedural
De Jesus said the “added safeguards” do not in any way intend to infringe on the public’s right to access public documents.
He insisted that the new regulations have nothing to do with recent media exposés about President Arroyo and the First Family’s wealth.
“There has to be a procedure,” De Jesus explained, noting that requiring an applicant to present two valid identification cards merely seeks to ensure that the person is not fictitious.
“We have to put some regulations. This should not be construed as something to infringe on the people’s right to access to information or public documents,” he stressed.
The memorandum circular specifically points to specific instances wherein a request can be denied, especially when the applicant plans to use the SALNs for extortion or blackmail.
“Where the purpose stated is contrary to morals or public policy, or is commercial in nature other than by news and communication media for dissemination to the general public, the request shall be denied outright,” the order states.
De Jesus said the new rules are patterned after that of the Supreme Court, which implements even stricter rules in giving out copies of the SALNs of justices.
Under the law, the Office of the Ombudsman is the legal repository or keeper of the SALNs of presidents, vice presidents, and that of other constitutional officials working for agencies like the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on Elections.
De Jesus said that SALNs of Cabinet secretaries are filed at the Office of the President while those of senators and congressmen are kept by the secretaries of the respective houses of Congress.
Malditas Gutierrez is unable to do anything against the Arroyos because the Arroyos are the highest retainers’ fee paying clients she has.
bang taba ni Mikey Arroyo galing ba yan sa pera ng bayan….
Abutin ang kaso ng siyam-syam. Wala na kapangyarihan si Gloria hindi pa maumpisahan ang imbestigation. Malditas ay protector ng Jose Pidal Mafia.
See…Folks! Kapag ang uusigin ng ombudsama ni Maldita Gutierez ay mga kritikong Pinoy o oposisyon…ang bilis nilang magbaba ng hatol? Pero kapag ang mga traydor, magnanakaw at sinungaling e todo protekta nila?
Akala nýo kaya nýo pang ululin ang Masang Pilipino…nagkakamali kayo?
Baka naman yong nag-file ng case ay kasamahan o kaya ala Lozano.
Ano bang aasahan natin na mangyayari sa kaso under Gutierez. Maliwang pa sa sikat ng araw na walang mangyayari. Kaya nga malakas ang loob nitong mayabang at aroganteng anak ni mike at gloria na may magdemanda (so sue me)para matapos na agad ang kaso, kasi sakal nila ang hustisya ng Pilipinas. At pagkatapos madismiss clear at tapos na ang problema niya. It’s just as simple as that, so walang dapat ipagsaya ang sambayanang Pilipino.
At kung sakaling hindi ganoon ang mangyayari, magtagal ang kaso at himalang lumusot si Noynoy, ganoon din ang mangyayari. Magkakasama sila kaya tuloy pa rin ang ligaya.
What do we expect of a very corrupt government? Habang nandyan ang mga buwaya at ng mga alipores nila, expect “just-tiis”.
Our only hope is for the US to look into Jay’s allegations(in a previous blog). Sa US wala silang lusot. Sa Pinas, kanila lahat ng nasa pwesto. Good luck na lang if those opposing the boobuwit will go anywhere.
Darating din ang araw ninyo. Grrrrrr.
Huwag naman sana, Florry. On the other hand, hindi makahirit si Gutierrez lalo na kung matuloy iyong investigation ng FBI. In short, inuunahan na. Iniisip na ng mga unggoy kung papaano bibilugin iyong mga kano. Fortunately, wala rin siyang magagawa kasi iyong property nasa teritoryo ng mga kano.
Abangan ang susunod na kabanata. Abangan din natin ngayon kung sinong sasakay dito para maging sikat kuno sa mga kano dahil pihado may sasakay na naman diyan at magpapanggap na bayani kahit na sa totoo lang dapat trabaho nila.
Good news is that corrupt presidents and their families are not immune from prosecution and from getting life sentence, eg., Taiwan president who’s just been sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption.
Gloria is next!
Taiwan ex-leader jailed for life
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8250099.stm
Taipei District Court convicted Mr Chen on six charges and Mrs Wu on seven charges. The were also fined $15m.
“Chen Shui-bian and Wu Shu-chen were sentenced to life in prison because Chen has done grave damage to the country and Wu because she was involved in corruption deals as the first lady,” said court spokesman Huang Chun-ming.
con’t:
Their son and daughter-in-law received sentences ranging from 20-30 months for money laundering. Other relatives received suspended sentences. Two former advisors were given sentences of 16 and 20 years in prison.
Kakaiba talaga ang Pilipinas. Palibahasa mga iligal at halang ang sikmura ng gobyerno natin lalo na ang IMPAKTA sa Malakanyang. Imbes na protektahan ang bayan laban sa mga magnanakaw ay ang magnanakaw ang binibigyan ng proteksiyon laban sa bayan. Sa bagong regulasyon na ito, aba’y parang piniringan nila halos ang mata ng bayan para hindi makita kung anu-ano na ang mga ninanakaw at mga nanakaw na yaman ng mga ganid.
KARAPATAN ng bawat botante na malaman at masuri ng husto ang mga pinag-gagawa ng mga ibinoto nilang mga mambabatas (o nandayang mga tongressmen) sa pera ng bayan. Parang susuot ka sa butas ng karayom para masilip lamang ang SALNs documents. Piling mga tao na lamang ang puwedeng makakita ng mga nasabing dokumento. Nakakagalit. Nakakagigil. Puwede ba kung sino man ang may mga taong MATITINO at may TUNAY na PAGMAMALASAKIT sa Pilipinas ay sana pigilan nila ang mga NAKAKASUKLAM na gawain ng mga GANID! Kung maari ay patalsikin sila!!!
Sa Amerika kahit sino puwede masilip ang yaman at ari-arian ng kanilang mga ibinotong mga mambabatas. Matindi ang ‘transparency’ sa kanila. Pati ang mga ‘foreign travel report’ at ‘gifts and contribution’ ay puwedeng malaman ng KAHIT SINO! NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED! Can be DOWN-LOADED by anyone! Links below:
Financial Disclosure Reports:
http://clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial.html
Gift and Travel Filings:
http://clerk.house.gov/public_disc/giftTravel.html
Sa Amerika kahit sino puwede masilip ang yaman at ari-arian ng kanilang mga ibinotong mga mambabatas. — hKofw
Hindi lang sa Amerika… in the EU too.
A few months ago, Sarkozy was accused of letting State pay 14,000 Euros for some expenses that were considered personal expenses and not official expenses as president of the Republic. This was after state aditors revealed that there had been something “irregular” in his “SALN”.
He had to reimburse. He didn’t check his “SALN” beforehand. It was clearly not intentional.
A year ago, an elected regional official (from my own region) was sentenced to 5 years in jail after he was convicted of having received 20,000 Euros in bribes — which was discovered when his “SALN” did not exactly match his bank account records.
President Mitterand’s own son served jail time for influence peddling.
We have what we call “Journal Officiel” which is a PUBLIC document issued EVERY MONTH concerning every single item pertaining to rules, regulations, laws, ammendements and every single cent disbursed by state for official busines of its civil servants, public servants, in elected or career capacity. It is available to every single person inhabiting France and can be consulted free of charge.
dito naman sa norway ay hindi na interesting ang mga ari arian ng mga elected officials dahil panay mahihirap naman sila. mas interesting dito ang silipin and ari arian ng kapit bahay at mga kakilala.
Tangnanay ng mga bugok!
Anong legal basis na gagawing confidential ang SALN ng isang suspected criminal?
Dapat available iyan for legal process gaya ng isinusulong ni Atty. Roque and Company. It should be open for legal scrutiny especially by people who should now in fact be encouraged to file a class action against such corrupt politician na bobo at akala puede siyang makalusot as the son of the criminal claiming herself as legal “president of the Philippines.”
Sa amin iyan, di titigilan ng media, etc. ang mga katulad ni Mike Pidal Jr. after he was exposed hangga’t di siya magbigti o tumalon sa isang high rise building to save face. Pero no dice doon sa mga Pidal dahil sementado na yata talaga ang mga mukha! Tapos tinatapalan pa noong mga appointee sa justice department ng bansa. Yuck!
Kawawang Pilipinas talaga!
Di kaya nahihiya iyong Ombadsmama sa ginagawa niyang pagtatakip doon sa mga kulimbat. Duda tuloy ng marami isa rin siyang kabit noong malibog na baboy na nagmamalinis pa. Ngeeeeeeek talaga! 🙁
Yuko,
what is “malibog”?
malibog = horny, concupiscent, lustful or libidinous
Pero sa Bisaya yata ang ibig sabihin ng malibog ay “malabo”.
Sabi minsan nung katulong ko, “Kuya, hindi ko man nataya yung lotto mo kasi nalibugan ako kan sulat mo”. Lumobo yung sipon ko sa ilong kakatawa.
Minsan naman pinagpunas ko ng auto, sabi niya “Kuya, pinunas ko na mabuti piro malibog talaga ang salamin”.
Ah, thank you Tongue…
Did Yuko mean that Pidal lusts after his wife?
I doubt Anna if the lust is for his wife!
PSB,
Why not naman…minamaliit mo naman iyong asawa niya. Kaya nga she had implants para maging horny si Piggy…
Para maging malaki siya sa tingin ni Piggy…
Gaya noong unano sa state fair na nakita ko na malaki pa iyong boobs, cup F pa yata, kesa sa laki ng katawan niya. Di tuloy makatayo! 😛
Anna,
I wrote, “kabit noong malibog na baboy…” Kabit is concubine, common-law-wife, etc.
Kunyari pa nga iyong anak na babae na akala mo walang alam sa mga kabit ng tatay niya nang ibisto iyong kabit na tsinay. Iyon pala ang lalaki na ng mga kapatid niya sa ama!!! Plastik di ba?
Naalala ko tuloy si Bing Francisco, who first exposed the Mafia couple. Kawawa din ang taong iyon. Namatay din after realizing her mistake of aligning with the creep. Walang pinag-iba kay Mrs. Aquino—namatay in vain!
Tongue,
Lumubo din ang sipon ko sa ilong sa kuwento mo tungkol sa katulong mo. Hahahahahahahaha! Enjoy ako! 🙂
@ AdeBrux: “Para maging malaki siya sa tingin ni Piggy…”
Hindi daw, wala na daw kasi sa proportion. Masagwa ng tignan. Tiny girl with big….. 🙂
I doubt if the graft charges filed with the ombudsman will prosper. My only hope is the complaint filed by “Jay” with the FBI in the US will push through and will nail Mikey in the end. Thats my wish.
I heard the interview of Atty. Sixto Brillantes saying that Mikey should be happy with the case filed. Since it means that no one (including journalist) can not come out with any new evidence (in public) thats gonna be filed with the ombudsman. There’s a term for it but forgot what it is. He said the filing was premature, it should have been done so when all the evidence is already out in the public so the people can be informed. But the one exposed by VERA files can be discussed publicly since it was reported before the case was filed.
Mike:
You might be referring to the sub judice rule. When a case is sub judice (before the courts), it is considered a contempt of court to discuss it. The reason for that, is the law wants the judge to listen to the evidence. If commentaries are made, and say, a professor revered by the judge makes a comment, that may sway the judge. In that case, the judge was convinced by his respect for the former professor, not by the evidence.
BUT
The Ombudsman is not a judge, but a mere prosecutor. Mali si Brillantes. Fire away. Keep talking about it, whether it is from Vera files, or new evidence.
Halatang-halatang pinagtatakpan iyong kriminal. Dapat pinapa-imbestigahan na iyan sa pulis pero mukhang sabi doon sa police chief, “Gusto mong magalit si Mom? Gusto mong matanggal?”
Iyan ang napala nilang tino-tolerate ang isang kriminal na tawaging, “Madam President.” Lord, have mercy on them!
Hindi pala “Mom” kundi “Ma’m.” Sorry!