“DO not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Harold R. McAlindon
On June 30, Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will step down from the highest position in the land to give way to President-elect Benigno Aquino III’s ascent as the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines.
With her descent and the removal of immunity from criminal prosecution due to executive privilege, Arroyo will most likely face a plunder case as militant groups (led by Bayan Muna) are readying their charges “in connection with the government’s botched $329-million NBN deal with Chinese firm ZTE Corp.,” according to reports from Philstar.com.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño also told the press that “aside from plunder, they are also considering filing charges against her for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees.”
Casiño added that the ZTE-NBN is just one among a slew of other criminal cases that they will be filing against Arroyo. “She has to account for her alleged involvement and actions in anomalous deals and irregularities like ZTE-NBN, the fertilizer scam and the ‘Hello, Garci’ vote rigging scandal in 2004-2005,” he said.
According to Lakas-Kampi CMD vice president Prospero Pichay, Arroyo is ready to face any investigation that will come her way, after Aquino steps into the presidency.
Pichay belied speculations that Arroyo is staying out of the bid for the House speakership and staying on the sidelines because she is afraid of being pursued for criminal charges, claiming that these are mere “empty accusations.”
Casiño and his cohorts will file the case with the Office of the Ombudsman next Thursday. Casiño is hoping that despite Ombudsman Gutierrez’s close ties with the Arroyos, she will practice fair judgment when President-elect Aquino steps into power.
With the onset of a new governance and an auspicious promise from the incoming president to fight and eradicate corruption, the outcome of these charges against Arroyo will be the defining moment and quintessence of Aquino’s term – the proverbial barometer to gauge what the future holds for the Philippines, after his presidency expires in 2016. (AJPress)
( www.asianjournal.com )
( Published June 26, 2010 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A12 )
