The Philippine Online Chronicles

The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday filed graft cases against former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and two other officials involved in the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal with the ZTE Corp. of China.

Former election chairman Benjamin Abalos and former Department of Transportation and Communications secretary Leandro Mendoza were also charged with graft alongside the Arroyos.

Ombudsman spokesperson Asryman Rafanan said, “The Office of the Ombudsman filed with the Sandiganbayan [on Wednesday] afternoon three informations against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in connection with the NBN (National Broadband Network)-ZTE deal.”

She was charged for violating Republic Act no. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for railroading the deal for personal gain (1), for approving a contract that is “grossly and manifestly disadvantageous to the government” (2) and for violating Republic Act no. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials for allegedly receiving favors from the ZTE Corp.

The other three accused were said to have “conspired and confederated” with the former president.

In an interview with the Philippine Star, the former first gentleman said, “That contract was abrogated so there’s no damage done.”

The Ombudsman also said Arroyo cannot claim innocence, “Arroyo cannot deny the existence of the NBN-ZTE contract because she was the one who granted Secretary Mendoza full powers to sign the same with ZTE Corp.,” the complaint read.

To pin for plunder

While the investigators found “no sufficient evidence to link her [Arroyo] to the receipt of alleged payment of commission,” the Ombudsman is also starting their preliminary investigation on other plunder cases filed against Arroyo, including that of the fertilizer fund scam.

“The progress of the cases means that the [Ombudsman] is doing its job,” Rafanan said, alluding to the term of then ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

Meanwhile, Malacañang welcomed the filing of charges.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told media, “It is a chance to put to rest the specter of the NBN-ZTE anomaly and to finally put closure for many Filipinos, who until this day, harbor many questions about it.”

Media reported that the Arroyo couple can post bail since the graft charges lodged at the Sandiganbayan are bailable. However, Arroyo will still remain in police custody since she was earlier charged with electoral sabotage.

Case witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. said he was relieved to have learned about the filing of graft cases against the Arroyos.

“What I’m feeling now is one of relief, and one of encouragement. There’s some light, and hope that whatever we sacrificed for will not be for nothing,’’ he said.

It was on April 21, 2007 that the Arroyo administration signed the $329-million NBN deal with the ZTE Corp. The project was supposed to provide for a telecommunications network linking government office throughout the country.

Months later, Jose de Venecia III claimed that his company was bypassed in the bidding after the first gentleman intervened to get the ZTE deal approved.

De Venecia also alleged that Abalos led the brokering of the deal. Abalos allegedly offered De Venecia $10 million to drop out of the bidding.

Then National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Romulo Neri then told Senate that Abalos had offered him P200 million to endorse the contract. In 2008, Lozada, Neri’s consultant in the NBN project, testified that Abalos was supposed to gain a huge commission from the deal.