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Tag: World Bank INT

‘Ombudsman takes 80 million Filipinos for fools’

Published by Ellen on March 28, 2009

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?

Continue reading‘Ombudsman takes 80 million Filipinos for fools’

WB: Mike part of syndicate

Published by Ellen on February 24, 2009

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.

Continue readingWB: Mike part of syndicate

Miriam ‘loses’ road rigging contract probe

Published by Ellen on February 17, 2009

Blue Ribbon likely to take over investigation

by JP Lopez
Malaya

miriam-santiago The Senate economic affairs panel chaired by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago will no longer investigate the criminal side of the World Bank report on alleged collusion and bribery in government infrastructure projects and will instead focus on the report’s economic implications.

Santiago said this was the consensus reached by the majority bloc in a caucus called yesterday after some senators complained that last week’s hearing turned into a forum for bashing the World Bank.

“The first item is, pursuant to my recommendation, the Senate economic affairs committee will no longer issue subpoena to the country director of the WB,” Santiago said.

Continue readingMiriam ‘loses’ road rigging contract probe

The people’s fury

Published by Ellen on February 15, 2009

Never mind Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Miriam Santiago. We know them to be allies of Gloria Arroyo (or whoever will serve their interest).

But it was painful to see Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, who fought the Marcos tyranny and was a victim of electoral cheating, spouting the same line as Enrile and Santiago putting the pressure on the World Bank, which exposed the rigging of bids in the public works it finances, instead of Finance Secretary Gary Teves and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez who, by their non-action, protected Gloria Arroyo, Mike Arroyo and other crooks named in the WB report.

I texted Sen. Pimentel telling him of my disappointment about his role in last Thursday’s Senate hearing and this was his reply:

“Sorry, dear Ellen, for creating the misimpression. That’s the last I’d do: protect GMA and company.

Continue readingThe people’s fury

Palitan ang liderato sa Senado

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2009

Dapat siguro palitan na ang liderato sa Senado.Mukha ngang naisahan ng Malacañang sina Senador Ping Lacson, Mar Roxas, Jamby Madrigal nang tinanggal nila si Senate President Manny Villar at ipinalit si Senador Juan Ponce Enrile.

Para kasi makuha ang suporta ng mga kaalyado ni Gloria Arroyo sa pagtanggal kay Villar, pumayag sina Lacson na ibigay ang mga mahalagang committee sa mga kaalyado ni Arroyo. At nakikisama sila sa kanila.

Akala kasi nina Lacson na dahil itong sina Enrile at Santiago ay makasarili, kapag mabaho na si Arroyo, bibitawan nila. Hindi nila naiisip na kaya ni Arroyo magbigay ng hindi kayang ibigay ng iba para sa mga katulad nina Enrile at Santiago.

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Election stimulus

Published by Ellen on February 10, 2009

At a forum sponsored by the Catholic Media Network and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines at Ilustrado yesterday Bertie Lim, executive director of the Makati Business Club and Vince Lazatin of the Transparency and Accountability Network expressed concern that despite the damning revelations in the World Bank report, corruption in the Arroyo government is not expected to diminish.

Lim said the public should be vigilant over how the Arroyo government spends the P330 billion stimulus package to alleviate the effects of the global financial crisis on Filipinos.

Lim took note that elections are 15 months away and politicians are known to be brazen in their fund raising for that exercise. In fact, in the investigation that World Bank conducted on the road projects that it was financing, a portion of the report stated, “The winner paid off politicians for election campaign funds.”

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Protektado ni Gloria si Mike

Published by Ellen on February 4, 2009

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.

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WB witnesses link FG to bid rigging

Published by Ellen on February 3, 2009

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.

Continue readingWB witnesses link FG to bid rigging