Ombudsman is hopeful that the SC will revisit decision on Arroyo plunder case.
The Office of the Ombudsman hopes that the Supreme Court shall consider the Motion for Reconsideration (MR) regarding the plunder case against Former Pres. And now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) and Former Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Budget Officer Benigno Aguas that was trashed recently by the high court.
The criminal charges for plunder by the Ombudsman was filed on July 16, 2012. Arroyo and her co-accused were charged to have conspired in the amassing, accumulating and acquiring of ill-gotten wealth (public funds) amounting to more than P365 million.
The Ombudsman claims that there was a ‘grave error’ on the part of the Supreme Court concerning the due process of law.
The 32-page motion was signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.
The ‘Tanodbayan’ had earlier said that they have a substantial evidence versus Arroyo and so they asked the SC to reconsider its decision of freeing the congresswoman last July.
In the case against Arroyo and Aguas, the Ombudsman claims that plunder was committed through a series of the following acts committed in 2008-2010: Diverting funds from the operating budget of the PCSO to its “confidential and intelligence fund” (CIF) and converting, misusing and illegally conveying or transferring the fund to themselves in the guise of fictitious expenditures – for their personal gain or benefit; raiding the public treasury by withdrawing, receiving, unlawfully transferring or conveying the so-called “confidential and intelligence fund” into their possession and control through irregularly issued disbursement vouchers and fictitious expenditures; taking advantage of their respective official positions and authority to unjustly enrich themselves in the aforementioned sum.
The body reiterated that the PCSO is not an intelligence gathering agency. It is the “principal government agency for raising and providing funds for health programs, medical assistance and services and charities of national character.” It operates charity sweepstakes races, lotteries and other similar activities for this purpose.