Happy days are here again for Gloria Arroyo and associates

It’s only 45 days away when Rodrigo Duterte becomes the 16th president of the Republic of the Philippines.

If Duterte makes good his election promise, Gloria Arroyo, who has won another term as representative of the second district of Pampanga, can look forward to days of freedom very soon. She has been confined at the Veterans Memorial Hospital since 2011.

Duterte lawyer Salvador Panelo took a selfie when he attended  Gloria Arroyo's birthday party in La Vista lat April 5.

Duterte lawyer Salvador Panelo took a selfie when he attended Gloria Arroyo’s birthday party in La Vista lat April 5.


When he campaigned in Pampanga last Feb. 7, Duterte said, “If I am elected President, I will release her. Why? Because the evidence [against her] is weak. I know that. I am a lawyer.”

Duterte’s assessment of cases against Arroyo as “weak” is supported by the dismissal by the Ombudsman of the P200 million fertilizer scam case and the alleged illegal transfer of funds of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to Philhealth.

Still unresolved is the plunder case on the alleged misuse of the P366 million in intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. Some of Arroyo’s co-accused have already been cleared or are out- on -bail.

Still being heared at the Sandiganbayan is the case of graft in connection with the $329 million NBN/ZTE telecommunication deal. Last May 10, Arroyo co-accused, former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos was acquitted from the charge of graft.

The case of electoral fraud in connection with the 2007 elections, which was hastily filed to justify in Nov. 2011 Arroyo’s detention after she was stopped from leaving for Singapore for medical treatment, has not even started trial.

A lawyer commented that the cases filed against Arroyo was not constructed well as if they were really “meant to be dismissed.”

It’s not only Arroyo who expect better days in the Duterte administration. A number of officials in the Arroyo administration were part of the Duterte campaign and are expected to play a big role in the incoming administration.

Former Arroyo’s press secretary Jesus Dureza is one of Duterte’s close friends and advisers and he is expected to be given a cabinet position. Also former Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon who secured Duterte during the campaign.

Arroyo’s secretary of transportation and communication Pantaleon Alvarez, who was involved in the NAIA3 terminal anomaly (case against him was dismissed) represents Davao del Norte in Congress. With the backing of Duterte, he is reported to be eyeing the House speakership.

Thanks to Interaksyon for this photo.

Thanks to Interaksyon for this photo.

News report say businessman Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez, who was the Duterte presidential campaign chief fundraiser, will be Duterte’s finance secretary. Last week, he presented to media the Duterte administration’s eight point agenda.

Dominguez was a member of the Cory Aquino cabinet as first, secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and later on, Agriculture secretary.

Dominguez’ business interests are wide-ranging. He is into mining, power, and hotel, among others. He owns Marco Polo Hotel in Davao and Linden Suites in Ortigas Center in Metro Manila, which served as the nerve center of the zealous oust-Estrada efforts in January 2001 which installed then vice-president Arroyo as president.

Dominguez is known to be close to the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah. There’s talk in the diplomatic circles of Bolkiah’s meeting with Duterte in Manila during the campaign.

Duterte’s spokesman Peter Laviña said last week that the incoming president is planning to visit Brunei in August to “attend a social gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders.”

There is no meeting of ASEAN leaders in Brunei in August. So if Duterte goes to Brunei in August as part of his traditional state visits to ASEAN countries, it will be a meeting between him and Bolkiah only. It is expected that Dominguez would be part of the presidential party. They have a lot to talk about.

Happy days are here again for Gloria Arroyo and associates

It’s only 45 days away when Rodrigo Duterte becomes the 16th president of the Republic of the Philippines.

If Duterte makes good his election promise, Gloria Arroyo, who has won another term as representative of the second district of Pampanga, can look forward to days of freedom very soon. She has been confined at the Veterans Memorial Hospital since 2011.

Duterte lawyer Salvador Panelo took a selfie when he attended  Gloria Arroyo's birthday party in La Vista lat April 5.

Duterte lawyer Salvador Panelo took a selfie when he attended Gloria Arroyo’s birthday party in La Vista lat April 5.


When he campaigned in Pampanga last Feb. 7, Duterte said, “If I am elected President, I will release her. Why? Because the evidence [against her] is weak. I know that. I am a lawyer.”

Duterte’s assessment of cases against Arroyo as “weak” is supported by the dismissal by the Ombudsman of the P200 million fertilizer scam case and the alleged illegal transfer of funds of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to Philhealth.

Still unresolved is the plunder case on the alleged misuse of the P366 million in intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. Some of Arroyo’s co-accused have already been cleared or are out- on -bail.

Still being heared at the Sandiganbayan is the case of graft in connection with the $329 million NBN/ZTE telecommunication deal. Last May 10, Arroyo co-accused, former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos was acquitted from the charge of graft.

The case of electoral fraud in connection with the 2007 elections, which was hastily filed to justify in Nov. 2011 Arroyo’s detention after she was stopped from leaving for Singapore for medical treatment, has not even started trial.

A lawyer commented that the cases filed against Arroyo was not constructed well as if they were really “meant to be dismissed.”

It’s not only Arroyo who expect better days in the Duterte administration. A number of officials in the Arroyo administration were part of the Duterte campaign and are expected to play a big role in the incoming administration.

Former Arroyo’s press secretary Jesus Dureza is one of Duterte’s close friends and advisers and he is expected to be given a cabinet position. Also former Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon who secured Duterte during the campaign.

Arroyo’s secretary of transportation and communication Pantaleon Alvarez, who was involved in the NAIA3 terminal anomaly (case against him was dismissed) represents Davao del Norte in Congress. With the backing of Duterte, he is reported to be eyeing the House speakership.

Thanks to Interaksyon for this photo.

Thanks to Interaksyon for this photo.

News report say businessman Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez, who was the Duterte presidential campaign chief fundraiser, will be Duterte’s finance secretary. Last week, he presented to media the Duterte administration’s eight point agenda.

Dominguez was a member of the Cory Aquino cabinet as first, secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and later on, Agriculture secretary.

Dominguez’ business interests are wide-ranging. He is into mining, power, and hotel, among others. He owns Marco Polo Hotel in Davao and Linden Suites in Ortigas Center in Metro Manila, which served as the nerve center of the zealous oust-Estrada efforts in January 2001 which installed then vice-president Arroyo as president.

Dominguez is known to be close to the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah. There’s talk in the diplomatic circles of Bolkiah’s meeting with Duterte in Manila during the campaign.

Duterte’s spokesman Peter Laviña said last week that the incoming president is planning to visit Brunei in August to “attend a social gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders.”

There is no meeting of ASEAN leaders in Brunei in August. So if Duterte goes to Brunei in August as part of his traditional state visits to ASEAN countries, it will be a meeting between him and Bolkiah only. It is expected that Dominguez would be part of the presidential party. They have a lot to talk about.

Why Gloria Arroyo is not worried

Broadcaster Noli de Castro, former vice president, visited Gloria Arroyo.

Broadcaster Noli de Castro, former vice president, visited Gloria Arroyo.

A friend shared this tidbit about his meeting with Elena Bautista-Horn, a Gloria Arroyo loyalist, in a mall last year. He asked how they, referring to the Arroyo camp, were doing.

When Bautista-Horn replied, she looked unworried. “We survived three years. Three more years to go,” she said.
That was last year. Now, there are only two years and three weeks left of the Aquino administration.

Arroyo, despite her spinal and other ailments, has good reasons to look to the near future positively. Last week, the Ombudsman cleared her of involvement in the P728 million fertilizer fund scam.

The case was filed by former Solicitor General Frank Chavez, who passed away last year.

The case was about the misuse of funds for fertilizer to be distributed to the farmers. Investigation showed that through fake projects and ghost deliveries, money supposedly for the farmers went to the pockets of politicians and pork barrel operators. The notorious Jenny Napoles participated in that scam.

Investigation identified Arroyo’s Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante as the chief operator of the scam. Arroyo’s Agriculture Secretary Lorenzo “Cito” Lorenzo was also implicated in the scandal.

There were allegations that Bolante used the fertilizer fund to finance Arroyo’s tainted election in 2004.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, however, said there is no factual, or legal basis” to show Arroyo’s participation in the scheme… perpetrated by Lorenzo and Bolante.”

She said Chavez failed to present any documentary or testimonial evidence proving Arroyo’s alleged knowledge of, or participation in the scam.

“All of the documents submitted by complainant were prepared and signed by other persons, and not by respondent. Not one of them may be traced back to her. Thus, no reasonable conclusion may be made that she, directly or indirectly, took part in the alleged irregularities that attended the entire process in the release of the fund,” the Ombudsman decision said.

It’s the fourth case against Arroyo that was dismissed. Four more are still awaiting decision.

Recently, Arroyo and her son Camarines Sur Representative Diosdado Ignacio “Dato” Arroyo were also cleared of irregular involvement over the P1-billion Libmanan-Cabusao Dam and Skybridge 1 and 2 projects.
In October 2012, the case against Arroyo in the alleged misuse of the P530 million Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration was also dismissed by the Ombudsman.

Much earlier, In Nov. 2011, Arroyo was also cleared of accusations of plunder in connection with the P72 million in capital gains tax allegedly due but not collected in the 2007 sale of the old Iloilo Airport to Megaworld Corporation.

Awaiting decision are two plunder cases (PCSO and Malampaya funds) , one electoral sabotage case and violation of the anti-graft law (NBN/ZTE).

The plunder cases are the P366-million Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds scam and alleged misuse of P900 million in royalties from the Malampaya gas fund through projects packaged by businesswoman Janet Napoles.

There is still the Electoral Sabotage case which was the case used for arresting and putting her in jail in November 2011 (remember the dramatic NAIA1 scene). But the case in connection with alleged irregularities in the 2007 elections, where she was not a candidate, was so weak, the judge granted her bail on that.

No charges has been filed against Arroyo for her massive cheating in the 2004 elections (as heard in the Hello Garci tapes) because the Electoral Sabotage law was enacted in 2007.

Arroyo is also a respondent in the NBN/ZTE case, where Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada is the star witness but it’s violation of the anti-graft law (R.A. 3019), not, plunder. Violation of R.A. 3019 is bailable.

There are many reasons why a case is dismissed. One of them is, it was really meant to be dismissed.

Concrete evidence, not snide remarks, needed to convict Gloria

Penchant for unnecessary snide remarks

The day that President Aquino talks about his accomplishments without snide remarks at Gloria Arroyo, is the day I can say that he has matured as a leader of this country.

As of now, his penchant for snide remarks about people he doesn’t like gives the impression of being juvenile.

Reports from Vientiane, Laos , where Aquino is attending the Asia –Europe summit, said during his meeting with the Filipino community, he said people in the previous administration seem to be using a different kind of calculator when it comes to public works projects and rice imports.

“As other people say, maybe they used a different kind of calculator and the addition button is automatic and frequently pushed,” he said elaborating that the Arroyo administration imported 2.5 million metric tons of rice for a 1.3 million shortage , the end result of which is excess rice now rotting in warehouses.


Aquino resorts to snide remarks about the previous administration to underscore the reforms that he has claims he has instituted. He boasted about the P260 million purportedly saved in the construction of the Araneta-Quezon Avenue underpass in Quezon City which would have cost P694 million under Arroyo.

The Laos remark is milder in mockery compared to the jokes he cracked before the Filipino community in Auckland, New Zealand less than two weeks ago where, in trying to underscore his anti-corruption drive, he shared a text joke about corrupt persons using wheelchairs as get-away vehicle: “”Share ko ho lang sa inyo isang tawang-tawa ako sa narinig kong joke. Yung mga kababayan raw ho nating corrupt sa Pilipinas, kagagara ng kotse, kamamahal, katutulin. Pero pagka ginustong tumakas, ang ginagamit wheelchair .”

Many persons with disabilities using wheelchair found it in bad taste and he was widely criticized for it.

There is no debate about the corruption in the highest level of government during the Arroyo administration.

But instead of indulging in public mockery overseas, Aquino should do something about his legal team and file strong cases Arroyo. He has in his disposal the whole government machinery to build cases against Arroyo and her cohorts.

Rather than indulge in snide remarks, Aquino should work on being an effective chief executive and make government work.