Update: Mike Arroyo’s doctor said his condition is improving. A pitcure was shown of him with Gloria Arroyo and their granddaughter and he was smiling.…
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Tag: Mike Arroyo
by Evangeline de Vera
Malaya
The newsmen are seeking P12.5 million in damages before the Makati regional trial court in response to the flurry of libel cases that Arroyo filed since 2003 – 10 against 45 members of the press, a number unprecedented in Philippine history.
All these libel cases that Arroyo filed against the journalists prospered, with the city prosecutor of Manila supposedly finding probable cause to charge them.
In a 23-page decision penned by Associate Justice Sesinando Villon, the CA’s Ninth Division sustained the ruling of Judge Zenaida Galapate-Laguilles in denying Arroyo’s motion to dismiss the damage suit for failure of the journalists to immediately answer the written interrogatories within the extended period.
Updated: Dehydrated Lozada rushed to hospital. Update: Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said Lorredo’s remarks are “extraneous” and that he should stick to the merits of…
by Atty. Ernesto B. Francisco, Jr.
This latest move of the Office of the Ombudsman to spare First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo and other individuals prominently mentioned in the World Bank reports from preliminary investigation and from the risk – no matter how remote – of being charged before the Sandiganbayan, coupled with the ploy of passing on its job of investigating them to the National Bureau of Investigation (“NBI”), is totally disgusting and sickening. This is too much. This also proves that the Ombudsman really takes 80 million Filipinos for fools.
The Ombudsman just announced that preliminary investigation would be conducted against 17 ranking Department of Public Works and Highways (“DPWH”) officials for charges of graft, grave misconduct, dishonesty, neglect of duty, among others, in connection with the collusive bid-rigging of World Bank-assisted road projects. In a newspaper report,[2] the Ombudsman was quoted as saying that “it uncovered an ‘indication of collusion’ between officials and private contractors.” It was further reported that Malacañang Palace “welcomed the Ombudsman’s recommendation to file charges against the DPWH officials.”
But the questions that right away struck the readers were: how about First Gentleman Mike Arroyo? Why wasn’t he included in the preliminary investigation? How about contractor Eduardo De Luna and the alleged arrangers Boy Belleza and Augusto “Tito” Miranda? Weren’t they all mentioned in the World Bank reports which were the basis for the Ombudsman investigation?
Nakakabahala ang hayagang pagdepensa ni MikeArroyo, asawa ni Gloria Arroyo, kay Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez na nahaharap ngayon sa isang impeachment complaint na isinampa sa House of Representatives ng mga dating opisyal ng pamahalaan sa pangunguna ni dating Senate President Jovito Salonga.
Parang instruksyon yun sa mga congressman na depensahansi Gutierrez.Pampalakas loob din kay Gutierrez. “Ang mensahe ay, huwag ka mag-alala. Prutektado ka namin.”
Hindi na tinatago ng Malacañang na kaalyado nila ang Ombudsman. Na hindi dapat ganun. Ang Ombudsman ay para ma-check sa mga katiwalian na nangyayari sa pamahalaan. Independent siya dapat.
Sa ginawang pagdepensa ng hayagan ni Mike, buking na buking na hawak nila si Gutierrez. Anong klaseng Ombudsman siya?
Siguro naman sisipot na si Mike Arroyo sa hearing ng aming class suit sa Makati Regional Trial Court sa Marso 11,susunod na Miyerkoles, 2 p.m.
Kung ayaw naman niya, sabihin na lang niya sa korte ibigay na niya ang hiningi naming danyos na P12.5 milyon na ilalagay namin sa isang trust fund para tulong sa mga journalists na walang pambayad ng abogado kapag sila ay sinampahan ng kaso ng libel katulad ng ginawa sa amin ni Arroyo.
Noong Biyernes, binasura ni Court of Appeals Justice Fernanda Lampas-Peralta ang petisyon ni Arroyo na ibasura ang aming class suit dahil kulang raw ang binayad namin na filing fee.
by Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Court of Appeals has denied First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo’s motion for reconsideration of an earlier ruling that mandated the Makati regional trial court to continue hearing the P12.5-million class suit journalists filed against him.
The class suit was filed by journalists who wrote reports critical of the First Gentleman and who were made respondents in libel suits filed by Mr. Arroyo. The libel cases, they alleged, were meant to intimidate and silence media criticism against him.
“To be sure, the present motion for reconsideration does not present any new issue, which has not been addressed in the Court’s decision,” read the six-page decision penned by Justice Fernanda Lampas-Peralta of the former Seventh Division.
Please see official statement of World Bank on the meeting with senators below.
by JP Lopez
Malaya
The World Bank had named presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo as a participant in the rigging of biddings for WB-funded road projects and this information was relayed to the Ombudsman 15 months ago.
This surfaced after a briefing yesterday by WB officials of senators on an investigation in 2006, which found that a “cartel” of local and foreign contractors, assisted by public works officials and two “public figures,” had been colluding in bidding for contracts.
The “public figures” were Mr. Arroyo and the late Sen. Robert Barbers.
Related story:
WB report says Mike Arroyo got 5% commission: Lacson
Bistadong-bistado na si Mike Arroyo, ang asawa ni Gloria Arroyo, sa kanyang ginawang pangungumisyon sa mga proyekto ng gobyerno.
Sa imbestigasyon na isinagawa ng Integrity Vice Presidency ng World Bank, lumabas na si Mike Arroyo talaga ang promotor ng kurakutan sa Department of Public Works and Highways. Kaya lalong tumibay ang mga isinawalat nina Jun Lozada at Joey de Venecia tungkol sa papel ni Mike Arroyo sa mga tongpats sa NBN/ZTE deal.
Itong World Bank report kasi ay tungkol lamang sa mga proyekto na kanilang ginastusan. Nagpa-utang sila ng pera at napag-alaman nga nila na kornered ng mga kontraktor na alaga ni Mike Arroyo ang mga kontrata. Siyempre malaki ang kumisyon niya kapalit ng pagkuha mo ng kontrata.
Update on the hearing this afternoon. Judge Zenaida Laguilles was absent. “Emergency,” the staff said.
Mike Arroyo and his lawyer, Ruy Rondain, were also absent.
We were just curious why Arroyo and Rondain knew that the judge would be absent due to “emergency” while Atty Roque was not informed about it.
Related report on Mike Arroyo:
Mike Arroyo is expected to be at the Makati RTC, branch 143, tomorrow, Feb. 4 at 2 pm in connection with the class suit filed by journalists he had sued for libel.
More on this in the comments section.
by Aries Rufo
Newsbreak/ABS-CBN.com
It was a rude baptism of fire for the Japanese contractor. Right before him, “(They) first discussed bribes. They had a rough approach.” From that meeting, it was impressed on him that “(bribe) money was important to do business in the Philippines.”
This was how the Japanese contractor described his meeting with First Gentleman Miguel “Mike” Arroyo and a former senator to World Bank investigators who looked into alleged collusion and rigging in the Bank’s funded road projects.