August 31, 2009
GOTCHA by Jarius Bondoc, Philippine Star
Why aren’t Filipinos surprised with the Ombudsman’s absolution of the principal players in the ZTE scam? Simple. They know too well that the anti-graft body is presently constituted to cover the tracks of a thieving administration.
That Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez is facing impeachment when her office cleared the First Couple of ZTE filth underscores the sham. She may have recused from the ZTE investigation, but the fact remains that she was First Gentleman Mike Arroyo’s law school chum. Not to forget, President Gloria Arroyo was her appointer. Gutierrez’s deputy Mark Jalandoni too may have had nothing on paper to do with the probe. But he is said to be a nephew of ZTE contract signatory Larry Mendoza, and son of Iggy Arroyo’s sabong buddy. Best bets are on Arroyo’s congressional gofers to in turn absolve Gutierrez of impeachment raps.
And so there’s this suspicion that the ZTE fact-finders turned blind eyes to the facts: Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro, Emilio Gonzales III, Robert Kallos, Rodolfo Elman, Cesar Asuncion, and Jesus Micael. Remember them well. Their names may soon go down in history with the likes of Virgilio Garcillano, Lintang Bedol and Jocjoc Bolante.
Cleared were the dramatis personae of the ZTE contract: approver Gloria and influencer Mike Arroyo, signatory Larry Mendoza, over-pricers Lorenzo Formoso and Elmer Soñeja, and Chinese bribers Yu Yong, Hou Weigui, Fan Yan and George Zhuyin.
Only former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos and ex-economic secretary Romy Neri were indicted. Why them? Abalos, because clearing him this time around would have highlighted the Ombudsman’s original sin of letting him off the similarly scandalous MegaPacific scam. And Neri, because for Malacañang he is unreliable and expendable, having once described Mrs. Arroyo as “evil” and getting the goat of cronies like Ricky Razon.
Not even investigated were Abalos’s fellow-brokers: Ruben Reyes, Leo San Miguel, retired police general Quirino dela Torre, and chief of staff Jimmy Paz. This gives a cue that the Ombudsman case against Abalos would be weak — like those filed earlier against other friends of the Palace. In the first place, investigating them would have ensured their inclusion in the charge sheet, which in turn would bolster the evidence against Abalos.
