Roxas seeks Senate probe on stricter SALN access

Senator Mar Roxas today sought a Senate inquiry into new restrictions imposed by the Ombudsman on public access to a public document that reveals the net worth and properties of all public officials and employees amid ongoing media investigation of the alleged inexplicable ballooning wealth of President Arroyo and her family.

Roxas filed Senate Resolution No. 1374, asking the appropriate Senate committee to look into the validity and legality of the Office of the Ombudsman Memorandum Circular No. 01, series of 2009, or the Revised Guidelines Governing Access to Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALNs filed with the Ombudsman.

He said the new Ombudsman rules requires those who want access to SALNs to fill up forms and need to swear under oath from fiscals or public prosecutors the purpose or purposes they have in accessing those documents.

These new guidelines issued by the Ombudsman “obstruct rather than reinforce constitutional mandates of transparency and accountability in public service as well as undermine constitutional rights of access to information by the people,” Roxas insisted.

As author of the proposed Free Information Act that is still pending approval in both chambers of Congress, Roxas pointed out that the Constitution compels all public officers and employees to submit a declaration under oath of their assets, liabilities and net worth upon their assumptions to office, which shall be disclosed to the public.

The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) also requires public officials to “prepare and file a true, detailed and sworn statement of assets and liabilities” while the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713) “reinforces the public’s constitutionally protected right to information and access to public documents by providing that the (SALNs) of public officials shall be made available for inspection at reasonable hours and copying or reduction.”

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez issued the new guidelines on June 16 this year, amidst calls for an investigation into the alleged unexplained wealth of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her family.

At the time the new guidelines came out, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) was doing a research on and conducting an examination of the SALN of President Arroyo, which it noted had allegedly grown significantly based on her 2008 SALN. The report also said Mrs. Arroyo got rich faster than the three presidents before her.

"The motivation and timing of the release of the Ombudsman Memorandum Circular is questionable, coming at a time when the SALNs of the President and her immediate family were under intense public inspection," the Visayan senator said.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | posted in free information act, mar roxas, merceditas gutierrez, ombudsman, pgma, president, saln | 0 comments [ More ]

Senator Roxas to Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez: What accomplishments?

Liberal Party President Senator Mar Roxas today rebuked Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for claiming much has been done to fight corruption amid action from international agencies and even the US government that have expressed alarm over the spread of corruption in the Philippines.

"Nasa'n ang sinasabi niyang accomplishments? Wala akong nakikita (Where are the accomplishments she is claiming? I don't see any)," he said in reaction to Gutierrez's claim before members of the Rotary Club of Manila on Thursday that her office had overseen the disposition of a record number of cases, and had seen the prosecution and conviction of high government officials.

He said what is more apparent to the public is the Ombudsman's cover-up of corruption involving President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's men involved in cases like the NBN-ZTE bribery scandal, the DA fertilizer fund diversion scam, the Euro Generals international controversy and the World Bank collusive bidding allegations.

"Anong sinasabi niyang sterling performance ng Ombdusman? Inupuan niya ang mga kaso, nagkalumot na ang mga ito sa opisina niya, napanis na ang mga ito. 'Yan lang ang ginawa niya (What sterling performance is she talking about? She sat on the cases until these grew cobwebs, until they got stale. That's what she did)," he stressed.

He said Gutierrez's inaction on cases involving officials close to GMA has prompted an impeachment complaint to be filed against her with the House of Representatives.

"Sa tagal ng pagkilos niya sa mga kaso laban sa mga alipores ng pamahalaang ito, nawala na ang mga witnesses na maaari sanang magdiin sa mga kawatan sa gobyerno. Nakalimutan na nga ng publiko ang mga kasong ito dahil sobrang tagal na silang nakabinbin sa opisina niya (Because of her slow action on complaints against allies of this government, many of the witnesses who could have nailed down the culprits have already disappeared. The public has forgotten these cases because they have long been placed in the backburner)," he added.

Saturday, March 14, 2009 | posted in euro generals controversy, fertilizer fund scam, mar roxas, merceditas gutierrez, pgma, philippines, president, world bank, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]

Ka Jovy Salonga and Mar Roxas are conspirators

Here's a statement of the Liberal Party of the Philippines in admitting that Ka Jovy Salonga and LP President Senator Mar Roxas are consipirators.

In supporting the impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, we in the Liberal Party admit to be part of a conspiracy for good. Ka Jovy Salonga and Mar Roxas are its masterminds. We are engaged in a conspiracy for clean governance, a conspiracy against syndicated corruption in government.

We have waited so long for this showdown with Ombudsman Mercedita Gutierrez and her political masters. Punung-puno na kami at punung-puno na ang bayan. The nation is nauseated by the stench of corruption in this administration and we are determined to impeach its main promoter and protector.

When will we, Filipinos, act to fix corruption in our own land? It is a shame that we cannot clean up our own kitchen. It took the United States to arrest Jocjoc and General Garcia’s sons. It took Russia to intercept the Euro Generals. It took the World Bank to expose anomalous road contracts.

Hindi ba nakakahiya na aabot pa sa puntong mga dayuhan pa ang maglilinis ng ating gobyerno? Ito ang isang dahilan kung bakit nawawalan ng respeto ang ibang bansa sa atin, dahil sa hindi natin malinis ang sarili nating bakuran. If Gutierrez is not impeached, the Philippines will graduate from the most corrupt nation in Asia to the most corrupt in the world.

And where was the Ombudsman when all of these cases were happening? She was making sure that the evil schemes of the administration were kept in the shadows and out of public scrutiny—under a modus operandi of delay, distract, cover up, obfuscate and confuse. She was coddling grafters and keeping them from the reach of justice.

We are resolved to attack this syndicate of corruption and expose it in the full light of truth. We know that many in the legislature share our cause, especially those who have been blackmailed and intimidated by the administration to toe the line or else be whimsically investigated by the notorious Ombudsman. We ask them to stand and be counted.

Ang proseso ng impeachment ay ang pinakamabisang paraan para malantad ang lahat sa publiko, lalong-lalo na ang mga operasyon ng gobyerno para itago ang katotohanan. We stand beside Ka Jovy Salonga and our allies. We are proud of their actions in behalf of our people. We further condemn Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for her malicious remarks against Ka Jovy and demand that she act and speaks under the high standards of decency and civility that inures to her Office.

Friday, March 6, 2009 | posted in euro generals controversy, fertilizer fund scam, jovy salonga, mar roxas, merceditas gutierrez, ombudsman, pgma, philippines, president, world bank | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas: Esperat decision start of Ombudsman cover-up

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas rebuked Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez Saturday for dismissing the graft charges filed against former DA Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante by slain journalist Marlene Esperat in 2003, as he expressed concern this could be the start of an official whitewash of the anomalies in the agriculture sector in the Arroyo Administration.

“Ang kapalit ng pagtataksil na ito ay ang buhay ni Esperat (The price for this betrayal is Esperat’s life),” Roxas said regarding the Ombudsman’s decision this week to junk the graft charges filed by Esperat in 2003 against Bolante, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and other DA officials in relation to a P432-million fertilizer fund that never reached farmer-beneficiaries.

He said Gutierrez has proven again public perceptions she has become a willing tool of Malacañang to cover up irregularities in the Arroyo Administration, adding he is concerned the Ombudsman will likely throw out the plunder charges against Bolante and other Arroyo officials involved in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam in 2004.

“By junking the Esperat case, Ombudsman Gutierrez has again betrayed her constitutional duty to protect the people. Do we need more lives to be sacrificed before the corruption in this administration is brought to justice?” Roxas asked.

The Ilonggo senator has warned that Ombudsman Gutierrez’ inaction on major graft cases involving officials close to the First Family and their allies will intensify calls for leadership change in the government similar to the call made recently by five bishops led by CBCP President Archbishop Angel Lagdameo.

He expressed concern that the Ombudsman found no reason to prosecute those involved in the fund diversion despite Esperat’s sacrifice of her life.

Esperat was a former journalist who filed graft charges as resident Ombudsman of the DA’s Central Mindanao office against Yap, Bolante and other DA officials for their alleged involvement in a P432-million fertilizer fund diversion scheme in 2003. She was gunned down before her children in their home in Sultan Kudarat.

“Ang mensahe nito sa ating lahat ay wala na tayong aasahan pang hustisya sa ilalim ng administrasyon na ito (The message here is that we should not expect justice under this administration),” Roxas said.

Saturday, November 8, 2008 | posted in angel lagdameo, arthur yap, cbcp, da, fertilizer fund scam, joc-joc bolante, mar roxas, marlene esperat, merceditas gutierrez, mindanao, ombudsman, pgma, philippines | 2 comments [ More ]