GMA faces arrest, again

From: People’s Journal

           journal.com.ph

FORMER president now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo again faces arrest. 

The Office of the Ombudsman affirmed the plunder charges against her and former officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Commission on Audit in connection with the alleged fraudulent transfer of P366 million in confidential intelligence funds of the PCSO from 2008 to 2010.

The move removed the last obstacle for the Sandiganbayan to determine whether or not probable cause exists to proceed with the trial and to issue arrest warrants against all the accused.

Plunder  is non-bailable.

Also charged were PCSO Board of Directors chairman Sergio Valencia; former PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte; PCSO directors  Manuel Morato, Jose Taruc V, Raymundo Roquero and Ma. Fatima. Valdes; PCSO budget officer Benigno Aguas; former Commission on Audit chairman Reynaldo Villar and former CoA-Intelligence Fund Unit head Nilda  Plaras.

The Ombudsman prosecution panel said evidence gathered during the investigation established the roles of each defendant that points to a “concerted effort” and “common designs.”

The panel rejected the defendants’ argument that the plunder charge has no leg to stand on because there was no evidence that they pocketed the P366 million.

The panel pointed out that the Plunder Law penalizes the act of “acquiring, amassing and/or accumulating ill-gotten wealth” but does not limit such offense to whether or not the defendant personally benefited from such unlawfully acquired wealth.”#