Roco charged with graft

Multiple graft charges were filed yesterday against former education secretary Raul Roco and his wife Sonia before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The complaint filed by concerned citizens Edgar Dagimol and Alberto de Vera charged that Roco, during his tenure as Department of Education (DepEd) secretary, spent P1.8 million to hire 10 advisers from his law firm, the Roco, Kapunan and Migallos Law Offices.

One of the consultants was Roco’s law firm partner, Lorna Kapunan.

The 10 advisers served under Roco from May 2001 to March 2002 without approval from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the complaint said.

Roco "refused to dignify" the complaint filed against him with an answer, a staffer of Roco’s office told The STAR.

Roco’s wife was dragged into the picture when the plaintiffs, in their five-page complaint, alleged Roco got her a personal driver and paid him from government funds.

Dagimol said in the complaint that the filing of charges had nothing to do with Roco’s presidential aspirations.

Roco was the first of the current crop of presidential aspirants to announce his intention to run in the May 2004 elections.

He may run under his own Aksyon Demokratiko party or in alliance with the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, of which President Arroyo is co-chairman.

Roco may have to run under his own party if Mrs. Arroyo decides to seek a full six-year term next May.

The multiple graft charges were earlier investigated by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) as filed by the DepEd employees union.

However, the results of the PAGC probe were not made known after Roco resigned from his post last year after he was accused of early electioneering using government funds. Roco had printed posters bearing his photo which were meant to be distributed to various public schools nationwide.

According to Roco’s resume as posted on his website, www.raulroco.com, Roco is the "son of a farmer and a public school teacher."

He graduated with an AB English degree, magna cum laude, from San Beda College at the age of 18 and finished his law degree also at San Beda. He finished a masteral course in comparative law as a fellow of the University of Pennsylvania. He has seven doctorate degrees.

According to the website, "Roco was the youngest president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) in 1961 and was one of the 10 Outstanding Students of the Philippines in 1964. He was the youngest Bicolano delegate to the Constitutional Convention and the youngest president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (1983-1985). As legal staff of Sen. Ninoy (Benigno) Aquino, he drafted the Study Now, Pay Later Law."

Roco served in the legislature, first as the congressman of the second district of Camarines Sur and later as a senator, then he was appointed DepEd secretary in 2001 by Mrs. Arroyo.

According to his website, Roco "was considered the Father of the Bangko Sentral (ng Pilipinas). He liberalized the banking industry and strengthened thrift banks. He authored the Intellectual Property Code and the Securities Regulation Code."

The website also said Roco "funded the increment mandated by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers for retiring public school teachers. He funded teacher’s (sic) cooperatives. He pioneered the computerization program for state universities and colleges and the public schools. He gave meal scholarships to poor students at the Philippine Normal University. He abolished the NCEE (National College Entrance Examination) to give opportunity (sic) to students to enter college."

He was also known as the "honorary woman" of the Senate, a moniker he earned for having authored the Women in Nation Building Law, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, the Anti-Rape Law and the Child and Family Courts Act.

Roco is the president of the Aksyon Demokratiko political party, which is allied with the People Power Coalition (PPC).

The former DepEd chief and senator was cited for his "exemplary performance" during the Senate impeachment trial of ousted President Joseph Estrada and conferred the Bantay Katarungan Award.

According to the website, Roco, as DepEd secretary "implemented for the first time, free public primary and high school education. He protected teachers’ welfare, ensured prompt payment of their salaries, prohibited illegal deductions and campaigned against the (two percent) service fee deducted by the payroll group from teachers’ pay."