Category: Graft and corruption

When guilty, make the mess, messier

Published by Ellen on August 1, 2013

Dirty tricks operators have joined the Jenny Napoles pork barrel scam controversy to make the mess messier.

The immediate objective is clearly to distract attention from Napoles and members of her family and cause confusion. Sad to say some members of media fell into the trap.

Philippine Star ran a story yesterday implicating three senators who are allies of President Aquino in the pork barrel scam operated by Napoles. The three named in the report, attributing the information to whistleblower Benhur Luy and allegedly leaked by the National Bureau of Investigation, were Senators Loren Legarda, Antonio Trillanes IV and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who oversees the NBI, categorically denied the report.

“We are wondering where those additional names are coming from. As far as I know, those names do not appear in the docs/records currently in NBI’s possession,” de Lima said adding that “There appear to be unseen hands or elements that are trying to muddle the ongoing NBI probe.”

De Lima could be right because we have also heard of one dirty tricks operator who was active in the last election being busy again contacting media people.

Why should the burden of truth on MRT-3 be on Czech envoy?

Published by Ellen on July 30, 2013

What if Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar refuses to cooperate in the investigation of alleged $30 million shakedown by officials of the Department of Transportation and Communication in connection with the Metro Rail Transit expansion project? Is that the end of it?

Under the Vienna Convention, the international treaty that governs diplomatic relations, ambassadors cannot be compelled to appear in any investigation conducted by the host country.

The National Bureau of Investigation under orders of the President is investigating the reported shakedown which even dragged the name of presidential sister Ballsy Cruz and her husband, Eldon.

“I wish to state that the allegations that members of your family were involved with discussions with Inekon on any projects in the Philippines are simply untrue and malicious,” Rychtar said in a letter to the President last June 29.

The Cruz couple visited Prague in 2011 upon the invitation of Rytchar. They reportedly met with Czech businessmen during their visit.

We owe whistleblowers

Published by Ellen on July 16, 2013

Two news items yesterday recall to mind NBN/ZTE star whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada and his meeting with President Aquino in Malacanang last February.

Benhur Luy, exposed Janet Napoles vast network of corruption

The first news item was about the statement of the lawyer of Jane L. Napoles, who is in the center of the alleged P10 billion pork barrel scam, to file administrative and criminal charges against whistleblower Benhur Luy, formerly Napoles personal assistant.

The other news item was the downgrading by the Court of Appeals into “simple misconduct” of the Ombudsman’s ruling finding him guilty of grave misconduct for his role in the aborted $329 million National Broadband Network deal with the Chinese telecommunication firm, ZTE.

Romy Neri, for hiding the truth from the public, just a 'simple miscounduct.' — Romy Neri, for hiding the truth from the public, just a ‘simple miscounduct.’

Why Jun Lozada?

The two news items illustrate the risks that a whistleblower has to face if he decides to take on bigtime operators who have built deep and wide network within the government.

In the NBN/ZTE controversy, second only to the Hello Garci scandal as far as negative impact on the Arroyo administration, both Neri and Lozada were privy to the behind the scenes machinations that tripled the cost of the telecommuncations project.

Lozada finds no support from Aquino

Published by Ellen on February 5, 2013

Jun Lozada in a Palm Sunday mass — Jun Lozada attending a Palm Sunday mass while under the protection of the nuns.

For Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, star witness in NBN/ZTE deal, one of the biggest scandals in the Arroyo administration, it’s like he and his family are back to where they were exactly five years ago when he was abducted by police officers and he had to seek refuge with the nuns.

They were informed by members of the Pasig City Police that the Sandigan Bayan has issued an arrest warrant for Lozada in connection with a graft case filed by Erwin Santos, the current president of Philippines Forest Corporation , and Arroyo’s hatchet man when the former was a resource person in the Senate investigation on the anomalous $320 million telecommunications.

It’s disturbing. So alarming that today (Feb.6), members of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines are meeting with some members of the Aquino cabinet at the Department of Justice at 9 a.m.on Lozada’s situation. Would Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda be there? Lacierda was the lawyer of Lozada when they were still working to bring down Gloria Arroyo.

Gloria Arroyo may be out on bail, thanks to DOJ-Comelec

Published by Ellen on June 3, 2012

pleads not guilty. Feb. 23, 2012 — Pleads not guilty. Feb. 23, 2012. Thanks to GMA7 online for photo

Not surprising at all that Gloria Arroyo might be out on bail in her electoral sabotage case.

That case was meant to be dismissed.

No amount of lamentations by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes will cover the glaring incompetence in the handling of that case.

This turn of events should make President Aquino re-assess the quality of his legal teams at the Department of Justice and the Commission on Elections.

Gloria Arroyo must be made accountable for the many crimes she has committed against the Filipino people but a strong case must be built against her.

We condemn her perversion of the law to suit her interest when she was in power.To use the same deplorable tactic, even if it is on her, would make the current administration no better than hers and negate the people’s desire for genuine reforms in governance.

Ang imbistigasyon sa kayamanan ni Lapid at impeachment ni Corona

Published by Ellen on April 8, 2012

Lito Lapid impeachment — The judge is being investigated for alleged unexplained wealth

Dapat tutukan itong imbestigasyon tungkol sa kayamanan ni Sen. Lito Lapid na isinasagawa ng Ombudsman dahil kunektado ito sa impeachment in Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Senator Lapid’s millions subject of Ombudsman probe

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/28085/senator-lapids-millions-subject-of-ombudsman-probe

Akala kasi ni Lapid, dahil mahalaga ang boto niya sa impeachment, hindi siya gagalawin ng administrasyong Aquino basta ibigay lang niya ang kanyang boto sa pag-convict kay Corona.

Hindi natin alam kung tama nga ang akala ni Lapid. Dati kasi nakalusot siya.

Nagsumbong na dati si dating Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim kay Pangulong Aquino tungkol sa hindi kanais-nais na mga ginagawa daw ni Mark Lapid, anak ni senador na dating gubernador ng Pampanga at ngayon at hepe ng Philippine Tourism Authority . Ngunit sinabihan si Lim na huwag galawin si Mark dahil kailangan nila ang boto ni Lito lapid sa pagpasa ng batas na ipagpabliban ang eleksyun sa Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao.

Aquino continues to play blind to Naguiat’s culpability

Published by Ellen on February 28, 2012

Aquino swears in NaguiatB — Aquino swears in trusted friend and classmate

President Aquino misses the point in the Wynn Resorts controversy when he reduced it into just losing one prospective investor.

Aquino said he won’t lose sleep if Wynn, whose intra-corporate fight with his partner, Kazuo Okada, exposed the bribes showered by the latter to officials of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation including the current chair, Cristino Naguiat, Jr., does not invest in the Philippines because there’s a long list of foreign investors interested to come.

Aquino preferred to play blind to the issue of unabated corruption raised in the investigation report made by former Federal Bureau of Investigation Louis Freeh commissioned by Wynn Resorts such as, despite his anti-corruption agenda, “Official corruption in the Philippine gaming industry is ‘deeply ingrained.’

VERA Files’ Corona on trial

Published by Ellen on January 31, 2012

If you missed the impeachment trial hearings last Monday (Jan. 30) and Thursday (Jan. 26), please visit VERA FILES’ Corona Impeachment trial page. The official…

Unexplained or ill-gotten?

Published by Ellen on January 29, 2012

The prosecution’s clumsy preparation of the Articles of Impeachment against Chief Justice Renato Corona has caught up with them.

Last Wednesday, the impeachment court trying Chief Justice Renato Corona decided to reject the prosecution’s request to present evidence in relation to the alleged ill-gotten wealth of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, acting as the impeachment court’s president officer, said:”This impeachment court has arrived at a decision in that caucus that this court will allow the introduction of evidence and impeachment on article 2 paragraph 2.2 and 2.3 but not the introduction of evidence of paragraph 2.4. And so parties must be guided accordingly,” Enrile said.

The ‘thief in the night’ gets caught

Published by Ellen on December 29, 2011

Conchita carpio morales2 — Ombudsman Carpio-Morales

Finally, Gloria Arroyo will be made accountable for the anomalous NBN/ZTE deal.

gloria arroyo with neckbrace — GMA, the accused

The Ombudsman yesterday charged Gloria Arroyo, her husband Mike Arroyo, and two other officials of her government – former Commission on Elections Benjamin Abalos and former Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza, for violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (R.A. 3019).
Arroyo was also accused of violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (R.A 6713).