Ombudsman affirms plunder raps vs GMA over PCSO fund misuse

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales affirmed her decision yesterday to file plunder charges against Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo before the Sandiganbayan for her alleged involvement in the misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds during her presidency.

Arroyo’s lawyers filed a 64-page pleading for judicial determination of probable cause, which ultimately seeks dismissal of the case, hours after hearing about the 21-page resolution, which Morales approved, denying all motions for the reversal of the Office of the Ombudsman’s original July 10, 2012 decision.

Morales approved the recommendations of a panel of prosecutors to deny Arroyo’s motion for reconsideration for lack of merit.

In her appeal, Arroyo claimed that the charges were based on mere suspicions and conjectures and not established facts and evidence presented during the preliminary investigation.

The prosecutors, however, maintained that “the evidence on record is sufficient to engender a well-founded belief” that the crime of plunder was committed by the accused, which also includes former PCSO officials led by former general manager and vice chairman Rosario Uriarte.

The panel of prosecutors again ruled that from January 2008 to June 2010, the respondents made repeated and similarly worded requests for the release of Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF), which Arroyo approved.

Ombudsman lawyers affirmed their findings that Arroyo and PCSO officials, together with former Commission on Audit (COA) chairman Reynaldo Villar and Nilda Palaras of the ICF Fraud Audit Unit, “were able to illegally convey unto their possession and control at least P365,997,915.00 in public funds through repeated raids, illegal conveyances and misuse of PCSO’s original and additional CIF.”