Ariel Casilao: ‘Gloria Arroyo acquittal to embolden fraudsters’

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines  —   The acquittal of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of electoral fraud charges during her presidency can “serves as an inspiration to fraudster candidates in the coming 2019 national elections,” according to a party-list congressman.

Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao, in a statement yesterday, said Arroyo’s acquittal was “not surprising” and that “while the court may acquit her, the people certainly know the truth that she is a national symbol of election fraud, in addition to her roster of involvement in plunder cases.”

Casilao recalled that Arroyo’s electoral case involved the political family of Ampatuan in Maguindanao and provincial election supervisor Lintang Bedol, who pledged a 12-0 victory for then president Arroyo’s senatorial ticket under Team Unity.

“Amid the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal in 2005, Bedol was also mentioned by then Comelec commissioner Virgilo Garcillano as ‘our man’ and who would prepare ways for such victory,” Casilao said.

“The ‘Hello Garci’ scandal and 12-0 plot in Maguindanao would surely serve as inspiration to fraudster candidates this coming 2019 national elections, especially now that Mindanao is under martial law, all under control of the administration,” he said.?

“Arroyo is becoming the most acquitted former president in the country, this latest following her acquittal by the Supreme Court in 2016 of the plunder case that involved the P366-million intelligence fund of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office,” Casilso said.

“She also has become blessed, rising from neck brace-wearing patient then suffering from serious ailment of hypoparathyroid and bone disease during litigation, to an energetic House speaker who toppled her predecessor,” he added.

Casilao said “the people are not surprised, and it is becoming normal for plunderers or fraudsters to be acquitted under this administration, thus we urge the electorate to be very vigilant in the coming national elections.”

The task of keeping the polls free and clean from the interests of morally bankrupt traditional politicians is in the people’s hands, he added.