TWO weeks ago, the Ombudsman cleared the Arroyos from any involvement with the $329-million NBN-ZTE contract, dismissing the evidence as “weak” and giving merit to Mike Arroyo’s counter-affidavit which states that complaints filed against him were fabricated.
The first gentleman was earlier charged “with violation of the anti-graft law for allegedly brokering the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp, to wire the nation’s bureaucracy digitally.”
In the 23-page affidavit, which the first gentleman filed in March 2008, Mr. Arroyo said that the allegation made against him “contains nothing but insinuations, speculations and false assumptions” and was “bereft of direct and competent evidence linking me to any alleged anomalies.”
It’s interesting how the Ombudsman easily absolved Mr. Arroyo’s involvement with the NBN-ZTE scandal and yet has left Abalos and Neri to fend for themselves. The Ombudsman has recommended the filing of graft charges against former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and has found Social Security System president Romulo Neri guilty of the administrative charge of misconduct. Neri has been suspended by Malacañang per the Ombudsman’s recommendation for his six-month suspension without pay.
Speaking on behalf of Abalos, his lawyer Gabriel Villareal stated that the Ombudsman’s investigating panel “did not even specify the illegal act he supposedly committed.”
Abalos has filed a nine-page motion for reconsideration to the Office of the Ombudsman, saying it was “unfair and had no basis for indicting him in the scandal. He admitted that the only fault he had was “to facilitate ZTE’s earnest intention to invest in the country.”
In a Senate inquiry, Neri stated that he rejected the P200 million bribe which was allegedly offered to him by Abalos to favor the Chinese ZTE Corp. for the broadband contract. Apparently, declining a bribe wasn’t enough to clear his name. The Ombudsman “noted that he did not categorically refuse the offer and constantly” conferred with Abalos in lunches and golf games. However, Neri has been given the option to file a motion for reconsideration to redeem himself.
The Ombudsman’s mandate states that “The Ombudsman and his deputies, as protectors of the people shall act promptly on complaints filed in any form or manner against officers or employees of the Government, or of any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations, and enforce their administrative, civil and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the Government to the people (Section 13, R.A. No. 6770; see also Section 12 Article XI of the 1987 Constitution).
The Ombudsman’s mission is “to endeavor, in cooperation with all sectors of the Filipino society, to promote integrity and efficiency and high ethical standards in public service through proactive approaches in graft prevention and public assistance, prompt investigation of complaints and aggressive prosecution of cases filed against erring public officials and employees.”
Let’s hope that justice be given where it’s due. (AJPress)
( www.asianjournal.com )
( Published on September 9, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A6 )
