ZTE ruling won’t weaken impeach raps vs Gutierrez – lawmakers
JOHANNA CAMILLE L. SISANTE, GMANews.TV
08/28/2009 | 06:16 PM
She caught the big fish, but let the biggest fish go away.
Lawmakers are not satisfied with the decision made by the office of Merceditas Gutierrez on the National Broadband Network (NBN) scandal, saying the ruling won’t in any way lessen their resolve to push for the impeachment complaint against the Ombudsman.
“She found probable cause versus the big fish, but not versus the biggest fish, the powerful First Couple. She failed to truly protect the people," said Akbayan party-list Rep. Ana Theresia Hontiveros.
The Office of the Ombudsman has cleared President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and husband Jose Miguel Arroyo in the graft case related to the botched $329-million NBN deal with China’s Zhong Xing Telecommunications (ZTE) Corp., but recommended the filing of charges against former Commission on Elections chief Benjamin Abalos Sr. and former socio-economic planning secretary Romulo Neri.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza said the timing of the issuance of the decision was meant to weaken the impeachment charges against Gutierrez.
However, Maza said that “by not including the First Couple (on the list of people who should be charged), the accusation that she is protecting them is reaffirmed."
In the 144-page decision, the Office of the Ombudsman cleared Mrs. Arroyo of graft charges due to her immunity from suit as a sitting President. Mr. Arroyo was likewise cleared of graft charges for allegedly brokering the NBN-ZTE deal due to lack of “convincing and solid evidence" directly or indirectly linking him to the project.
Gutierrez, a batch mate of Mr. Arroyo at the Ateneo Law School, inhibited herself from the office’s investigation of the NBN-ZTE deal.
Speaker Prospero Nograles had suggested to members of the House Committee on Justice to finish impeachment proceedings by the middle of September so it can be brought to the plenary. The panel has not yet determined the impeachment complaint’s sufficiency in substance.
In March, former Senate president Jovito Salonga and 30 leaders from civil society groups filed the complaint charging Gutierrez with betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution for allegedly sitting on cases that involved high-ranking government officials.
The cases include the controversial poll automation deal with Mega Pacific corruption, the World Bank project-bidding mess stemming from alleged collusion of Filipinos firms, and the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.
Gutierrez has repeatedly denied the allegations. - GMANews.TV
Lawmakers are not satisfied with the decision made by the office of Merceditas Gutierrez on the National Broadband Network (NBN) scandal, saying the ruling won’t in any way lessen their resolve to push for the impeachment complaint against the Ombudsman.
“She found probable cause versus the big fish, but not versus the biggest fish, the powerful First Couple. She failed to truly protect the people," said Akbayan party-list Rep. Ana Theresia Hontiveros.
The Office of the Ombudsman has cleared President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and husband Jose Miguel Arroyo in the graft case related to the botched $329-million NBN deal with China’s Zhong Xing Telecommunications (ZTE) Corp., but recommended the filing of charges against former Commission on Elections chief Benjamin Abalos Sr. and former socio-economic planning secretary Romulo Neri.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza said the timing of the issuance of the decision was meant to weaken the impeachment charges against Gutierrez.
However, Maza said that “by not including the First Couple (on the list of people who should be charged), the accusation that she is protecting them is reaffirmed."
In the 144-page decision, the Office of the Ombudsman cleared Mrs. Arroyo of graft charges due to her immunity from suit as a sitting President. Mr. Arroyo was likewise cleared of graft charges for allegedly brokering the NBN-ZTE deal due to lack of “convincing and solid evidence" directly or indirectly linking him to the project.
Gutierrez, a batch mate of Mr. Arroyo at the Ateneo Law School, inhibited herself from the office’s investigation of the NBN-ZTE deal.
Speaker Prospero Nograles had suggested to members of the House Committee on Justice to finish impeachment proceedings by the middle of September so it can be brought to the plenary. The panel has not yet determined the impeachment complaint’s sufficiency in substance.
In March, former Senate president Jovito Salonga and 30 leaders from civil society groups filed the complaint charging Gutierrez with betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution for allegedly sitting on cases that involved high-ranking government officials.
The cases include the controversial poll automation deal with Mega Pacific corruption, the World Bank project-bidding mess stemming from alleged collusion of Filipinos firms, and the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.
Gutierrez has repeatedly denied the allegations. - GMANews.TV
