DOLE bosses included in P554.8-M plunder raps

MORE big names were implicated by former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez in connection with the plunder charges he filed against former President and now Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, former Health Secretary now Civil Service Commission(CSC) chairman Francisco Duque III and former Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Virgilio Angelo for alleged misuse of some P554.8-million in OWWA funds.

During the preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice (DOJ) Monday afternoon, Chavez personally subscribed to his amended complaint before the DOJ panel of prosecutors headed by Senior State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva. Villanueva was tapped to handle the preliminary investigation of the case.

Among the names included by Chavez in his amended complaint-affidavit were personalities who sat in the OWWA Board of Trustees when it passed Resolution No. 005 Series of 2004 dated February 2, 2004 allowing the transfer of some P530.38-million of the subject overseas workers’ funds to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth/PHIC).

These are OWWA Board of Trustees are:

• Patricia Sto. Tomas, former Labor Secretary and then OWWA Board chairperson;

• Rosalinda Baldoz, current Labor Secretary and then member of the OWWA Board of Trustees as Administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration(POEA);

• Manuel Imson, then Labor Undersecretary and member of the OWWA Board of Trustees;

• Mina Figueroa, then OWWA Board of Trustees member as representative of the Finance Department;

• Caroline ROgge, then OWWA Board of Trustees member as representative of the Management Sector;

• Victorino Balais, then OWWA Board of Trustees member as representative of the Labor Sector;

• Virginia Pasalo, then OWWA Board of Trustees member as representative of the Women’s Sector; and

• Gregorio Oca, current OWWA Board of Trustees member as representative of the Sea-based Sector.

“There is no question that respondents herein were, at all times material to the present charge, ‘public officers’ within the purview of the Anti-Plunder Act. And the amount in question—five hundred thirty, three hundred eighty-two, four hundred forty-six Philippine Pesos (PhP 530,382,446.00)—is way beyond the jurisdictional amount for the application of the Anti-Plunder Act,” the document avers.

Besides plunder, Chavez charged Arroyo, et al. of malversation and/or illegal use of OWWA funds, graft and corruption, violations of the Omnibus Election Code and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, and qualified theft. The former OSG chief alleged that Arroyo Chavez misused the funds of OWWA and was intended to boost Arroyo’s 2004 presidential campaign.

Arroyo, Romulo, Duque and Angelo failed to show-up during the hearing.

Arroyo counsel Benjamin Santos said his client has just received the subpoena and copy of the complaint last June 1st, and under the rules, Arroyo has 10 days within which to submit her counter-affidavit.

Santos asked for 15 days to submit Arroyo’s counter-affidavit as the complaint was amended.

After deliberation, the members of the panel agreed to give the respondents until June 23 to submit their respective counter-affidavits. “It will not be extendable,” according to panel member Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Lilian Alejo.

In a complaint-affidavit, Migrante Intl. and Chavez accused Arroyo, of “purposely and systematically orchestrated diversion and/or misuse of the OWWA fund, financing questionable acquisitions by several Philippine diplomatic posts in the Middle East, the humanitarian assistance to Iraq, and the re-election bid of CGMA.”

Chavez charged Arroyo and her group with plunder, qualified theft, violations of the Omnibus Election Code and violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officials.

The plunder complaint alleges that the amount of public funds involved amounted to P530,382,446—way beyond the P50 million requirement of the law for an act to constitute plunder.

Arroyo was accused of transferring P100-million Livelihood Development Program from OWWA to the National Support Fund under the Office of the President in September 2003. The diversion of this program and its funds gave her the free hand to decide as to what projects she would do and where they would be allotted. –Jomar Canlas, Manila Times