Senate panel mulls reopening Jose Pidal probe

The Senate blue ribbon committee might conduct a new inquiry into the multimillion-peso Jose Pidal accounts, its chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III said Tuesday. "There’s no certainty… Evaluate ko pa kasi may request sa akin," Guingona said in an interview on Tuesday. He issued the statement after retired Chief Superintendent Restituto Mosqueda said during Monday's Senate inquiry that First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo and not Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy" Arroyo was the real owner of the Jose Pidal accounts. Mike Arroyo is also accused of being the owner of two second hand helicopters that were sold to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2009 as brand new. But aside from these issues, Guingona said the Senate blue ribbon committee is also scheduled to conduct inquiries into the alleged overpricing of rubber boats of the PNP; the alleged P150-million missing intelligence funds of the PNP; and the allegedly anomalous coffee expenses of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. In 2003, Sen. Panfilo Lacson accused Mike Arroyo of keeping a secret bank account under the fictitious name “Jose Pidal" to launder money during the incumbency of his wife former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. When the Senate was investigating the matter, Iggy Arroyo claimed that he was the owner of the controversial account. — VS, GMA News