MJ makes peace with Wycoco family, Ombudsman Gutierrez

In a gesture of reconciliation, former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez visited the wake of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Reynaldo Wycoco late Thursday and gave his condolences to the Wycoco family.

He also made peace with newly appointed Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, who was also at the wake.

Gutierrez and Wycoco played key roles in his 2002 extradition to the United States to face charges of electoral fraud.

Jimenez was convicted and sentenced to 27 months in a US federal prison. Jimenez, whose real name is Mario Crespo, came home on Dec. 18 after completing his sentence.

Jimenez said he harbors no ill feelings for Wycoco and Guiterrez, both of whom Jimenez said were only doing their jobs.

At the time, Gutierrez was an undersecretary in the Department of Justice, which has jurisdction over the NBI.

"Sila ay example kung paano ang bayan natin ay mababago o malilinis. At sa akin naman, yung nangyari sa amin ay ginagawa lang nila ang trabaho nila. Ginagawa ko lang ang trabaho ko para mai-defend ang sarili ko. Walang personalan (They are examples of how we can reform or clean up our country. They were only doing their jobs. I only did mine to defend myself. Nothing personal)," Jimenez told reporters seeking comment.

He said Gutierrez would make a good ombudsman. She was appointed after her predecessor, Simeon Marcelo, resigned from his post on Nov. 30.

"Thank you for supporting me. Welcome home," Gutierrez replied, to which Jimenez responded: "You are always a friend."

Jimenez also appealed to the Arroyo administration and the opposition to stop their bickering over the electoral fraud accusations against Mrs. Arroyo and just work together for the country’s sake.

"Maawa naman kayo sa bayan. Magtulong-tulong at magsama-sama na lang tayo (Have pity on the nation. Let’s just help each other and stick together)," he said. "Alam mo, sa tingin ko lumalangoy na tayo sa dugo ng demonyo ngayon (You know, I think we are already swimming in the devil’s blood)."

Asked if he plans to return to politics, Jimenez said he has no such ambition and only wants to live quietly and take a vacation: "My plan is only to go to Bukidnon and Guimaras."

The US government in April 1999 handed down a 47-count indictment against Jimenez for fraud, tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions to the Democratic Party, and asked Manila to hand him over.

The offenses were allegedly committed between September 1994 and March 1998. A warrant for his arrest was issued in April 1999 by Judge Robert Dube of the US district court of South Florida.

Jimenez fled the United States to escape arrest and returned to the Philippines. He helped broker several large business deals and became a friend of Joseph Estrada and then an adviser after Estrada was elected president in 1998.

Estrada was ousted in January 2001 amid massive protests over his alleged corruption and misrule. Vice President Gloria Arroyo took over.

Jimenez fought a US extradition request in court for more than three years until the Supreme Court ruled with finality on Dec. 17, 2002, that he must be placed under arrest for the duration of an extradition case being heard by a lower court.

While fighting extradition, Jimenez was elected to the House of Representatives in May 2001.

He was stripped of office in March 2003 by a House panel for electoral fraud after it found him guilty of vote-buying and ruled that he was not qualified to run in the 2001 polls.

His case was seen as a crucial test of an extradition treaty signed by US and Philippine officials in 1996 to help the two countries fight terrorism, drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes.

The landmark Supreme Court ruling stated that anyone sought for extradition should be detained to prevent the Philippines from becoming a haven of fugitives.

It gave Jimenez the option of avoiding Philippine detention by voluntarily traveling to the United States and posting bail there.

Jimenez accused the Arroyo administration of pressuring the Supreme Court to hand down the ruling after he accused then justice secretary Hernando Perez in November 2002 of extorting $2 million from him.

Jimenez left for the United States on Dec. 26, 2002, under FBI escort to face criminal charges in Florida.

US federal prosecutors said Jimenez made about $41,500 in illegal contributions and caused false information to be submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Jimenez built up a fortune running a computer components distribution business in the United States and Latin America after emigrating from the Philippines.

Jimenez used money from his Miami company and a closely related company to reimburse employees for illegal donations to Clinton and other Democrats. He moved back to the Philippines in 1998 after Clinton was caught up in a series of fund-raising scandals.