GMA camp cries harassment

MANILA, Philippines - Legal advisers of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo described yesterday the P550-million plunder case against her as “ridiculous” and said the move by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to summon her for investigation was part of the continuing political harassment of the Aquino administration.

Former justice chief Raul Gonzalez and lawyer Raul Lambino lamented that up to now they have yet to receive a copy of the complaint filed against Arroyo, despite numerous announcements by DOJ officials.

The lawyers said it is possible that the former leader would not appear before the DOJ, especially if it is just an initial hearing.

Lambino, also spokesman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said he expects the case to be dismissed by the courts.

“Based on what we’ve read in the media, there is no case at all,” Gonzalez, one of Arroyo’s legal advisers, told The STAR in a telephone interview.

“She did not pocket the money. All they’re saying is that the funds were transferred from one agency to another and that is mandated by law and legal.”

He said there were reports that part of the allegations was that the P530-million transferred from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) were not distributed by Arroyo.

“If that’s true, then it’s not her fault. It’s the fault of local officials and other officials in charge of those things,” Gonzalez said.

Earlier, House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the case was full of holes and would be quickly dismissed by the courts.

He said as far as he knows, under the law, plunder is committed when a government official takes public funds of P50 million and above for private consumption.

“Where is the plunder there? There is no connection from public to private (funds),” Suarez said.

“I couldn’t see how distributing PhilHealth cards can be considered as plunder.”

Lambino said it is possible the DOJ would not requir Arroyo’s personal appearance and her written response to the complaint would be enough.

He said the complaint, filed by former solicitor general Francisco Chavez, was “another political harassment, specifically contrived by the Aquino administration against officials of the previous administration.”

Former Philhealth chief Francisco Duque III said P530 million was indeed transferred from OWWA to PhilHealth but that was in 2005 and in two tranches.

He said the transfer was transparent and on the record since it was in compliance to a law in the late 1990s repealing the Medicare and creating PhilHealth.