Ombudsman urged to file case vs Arroyo on 'anomalous' NBN-ZTE deal

A party-list lawmaker and two private individuals on Monday asked the Office of the Ombudsman to "immediately resolve" the plunder complaint filed against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in relation to the allegedly anomalous national broadband deal (NBN) her administration entered into with the Chinese firm ZTE Corp. in 2007. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño, former congresswoman Liza Maza and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) chairperson Carol Araullo filed an urgent motion to resolve the complaint they filed against Mrs. Arroyo last September, and to immediately file a plunder case against the former President. Mrs. Arroyo now represents the second district of Pampanga in the House of Representatives. The complainants also asked the Ombudsman to deny any further motion from Mrs. Arroyo’s camp to extend the deadline to file an answer to the plunder complaint. The office earlier gave the former President’s lawyers until Tuesday to file her counter-affidavit. Casiño said the Ombudsman should take advantage of the "momentum" set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which filed an electoral sabotage case against Mrs. Arroyo last Friday. Electoral sabotage, if evidence of guilt is strong, is a non-bailable offense. "It would be best for the Ombudsman to file as many cases against Arroyo at the swiftest possible time and without violating due process. The momentum for accountability has started and it should not stop until justice is fully served," Casiño said in a statement. In their plunder complaint, the sectoral representative and his fellow complainants accused Mrs. Arroyo, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo and two other former government officials of pocketing bribes amounting to P1.4 billion from the Chinese firm. Mrs. Arroyo is currently under police custody at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City after she was accused by the Comelec of giving orders to rig the 2007 polls in favor of the administration candidates during her incumbency. The former President is also facing two other plunder complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman in relation to the alleged misuse of funds from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) during her term. — RSJ, GMA News