Iggy may face charges for shielding brother in PNP chopper mess

(Updated 5:25 p.m.) For defending his brother in the controversy involving the alleged anomalous sale of helicopters to the Philippine National Police, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy" Arroyo may end up facing charges himself, two of his colleagues said on Tuesday. San Juan City Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito said Iggy practically implicated himself in the controversy when he said that he was the president of LTA Inc., which allegedly paid the deposit for the second-hand choppers sold as brand new to the PNP in 2009, during the time of the supposed anomaly. “Palagay ko kung sasaluhin niya yan, I think the government has no choice but to include him. This is a transaction that is really disadvantageous to the government... I don’t think the government should let this pass so that this will never happen again," he said at a press briefing. He added that he “pities" Iggy for constantly shielding the misdeeds of his brother, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo. “Hindi naman natin masisi siya because a brother will always try to save his brother. Kaya lang, aaawa na rin ako sa kanya kasi parang palagi na lang sya sumasalo," said Ejercito. Ejercito is the son of former President Joseph Estrada, who was dethroned following a mass uprising in 2001 — a revolt that catapulted Mr. Arroyo’s wife, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, to the presidency. Iggy on Monday said his brother did not own the Robinson helicopters sold as new to the PNP since they were only leased from Lionair, Inc., the company owned by Archibald Po, who linked the former First Gentleman to the scandal. Po said in a Senate blue ribbon inquiry two weeks ago that Mr. Arroyo was the previous owner of the choppers. In 2003, Iggy had also defended his brother in the controversy involving the multi-million peso Jose Pidal accounts. Iggy claimed his brother did not own the accounts, saying he opened the accounts in two local banks for security purposes. Graft Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, for his part, said Iggy can be charged with graft if the courts prove that the anomalous sale of choppers happened under his watch. “Apparently, there is some kind of anomaly because this is a second-hand passed on as brand new. Of course congressman si Iggy, merong violation. Clearly there is graft. There can even be plunder depending on the number and amounts involved in this particular case," he said. He added that the Senate should closely scrutinize Iggy’s claims to determine if he has culpability in the chopper controversy. “Of course, it’s his word against the word of all other people who will testify. It’s the appreciation of evidence. Just because one person said na ako yun does not mean na sya na talaga," Umali said. Old ploy A civil society group, meanwhile, criticized the Arroyo brothers for employing an old ploy to supposedly evade charges. The Black and White Movement said both Iggy and Mike should be summoned to the Senate for trying to again to “hide from the truth" like what they did during the “Jose Pidal" controversy. “The brothers Arroyo, Mike and Iggy, must think we are all fools. Either that or lying must be so genetically ingrained in these brothers... We have seen this before; this legal ploy by the Arroyos is not new," the group said in a statement. They, however, said they doubt the Arroyos’ “tactic" would work under the Aquino administration. “Under the dispensation of President Benigno S. Aquino III that is committed to eradicating corruption, and a new Ombudsman committed to fairness and accountability, this ruse will not work... We have had enough of lies," the group said. — KBK, GMA News