Ombudsman urged to charge 4 Cabinet execs over ‘infomercials’

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Wednesday urged Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to file cases against four Cabinet members, including Vice President Noli de Castro, for continuing to air their infomercials which she said is a mask for premature campaigning. In a “rush and personal" letter dated September 9, Santiago said if the cases are not filed in court this month, the concerned officials would have the “license" to continue their infomercials until the deadline for the filing certificates of candidacy by the end of November. “We humbly repeat that Cabinet members should not embarrass the President, for whom they serve as alter egos, by blatantly violating the law," she said. Aside from De Castro, Santiago was referring to Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chairman Efraim Genuino, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Bayani Fernando. Of the four, only Fernando and Puno had signified intentions to run in next year’s national elections, as president and vice president, respectively. But Santiago said even if the Cabinet officials would not run for any post in 2010, the issue on whether they used public funds to promote themselves would remain. According to Santiago, chairman of the economics relations committee, there are three grounds for the filing of cases before the Sandiganbayan against the Cabinet members: - The official report of the Commission on Audit on the infomercials of the departments shows probable cause against the Cabinet members; - The line “Paid for by Friends" is an open and public admission that the Cabinet member has received manifestly excessive gifts of cash, contrary to law; - If the excuse “Paid for by Friends" is not substantiated, then the Cabinet member, if he himself actually paid for the informercial, is apparently guilty of unexplained wealth Santiago said she already warned the concerned officials to pull out their infomercials by the end of August or else her committee would pursue criminal charges against them. “That deadline has passed," she said. - GMANews.TV