Palace ‘mechanics’ freed Abalos: Pimentel Says Borra was taught a lesson to keep lips sealed - Malaya 07.05.2006
BY DENNIS GADIL
‘MECHANICS" in Malacañang could be behind the watered-down version of the report extricating Benjamin Abalos Sr., chairman of Commission on Elections (Comelec), from involvement in the Mega Pacific scandal, Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel said yesterday.
Pimentel said Palace strategists seized the opportunity to clear Abalos when the Ombudsman presented a panel report implicating all Comelec officials involved in the scandal, including Abalos.
Pimentel said Malacañang narrowed down the culprits to only Commissioner Resurreccion Borra and shielded Abalos.
"He (Borra) is expendable in the mind of her tacticians because he has no big political padrino," Pimentel said.
He did not give names of the "mechanics."
"Also, it is meant as a warning to those in government to be careful in their statements to media especially on poll cheating. Borra had loose lips in that regard. That’s why it’s convenient to punish him now," Pimentel added.
Borra had told media and senators during his confirmation hearing at the Senate that cheating indeed occurred during the 2004 elections. He also said cheating was done by both sides. He retracted his statements the following day.
Pimentel said Borra was used by Malacañang as "sacrificial lamb" and some sort of a "peace offering" to groups moving to impeach President Arroyo for a second try.
"It’s unfair to single out Borra," he said.
The Ombudsman submitted a resolution to the Supreme Court late Friday singling out Borra for possible impeachment by the House and saying the investigations on Abalos and the other commissioners are still unfinished.
However, a resolution submitted a year earlier to Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Victor Fernandez showed a panel of investigators had already found probable cause to indict all Comelec officials for graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust.
The Ombudsman gave no explanation why it set aside the findings of its own investigating panel and submitted a much watered-down report to the high court.
Party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva (Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption) said the Ombudsman was acting under the orders of Malacañang when the anti-graft body quashed the recommendations of its own panel of investigators.
He said Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez "only acted as expected of a close friend of the President and especially, the First Gentleman" when her office singled out Borra for impeachment and held off graft indictments against Abalos and the other active and retired Comelec commissioners.
He called President Arroyo the "mastermind of election fraud" and said she was protecting the commission for helping her in the last elections.
Villanueva called on Abalos and the rest of the Comelec officials implicated in the voided deal to resign out of delicadeza.
"The people are convinced the Comelec is riddled with corruption although there are still many people there, particularly those in the rank and file, who remain honest and faithful to serving the mandate of the commission. I hope Chairman Abalos and the commissioners would do the right thing and step down to save the institution," he said.
The case against the Comelec is based on three separate complaints alleging that the commission illegally awarded the automation deal to Mega Pacific eSolutions Inc (MPEI) although the firm was not a qualified bidder and had in fact flunked test runs on its electronic counting machines.
Comelec officials insist the bidding and the awarding of the contract to MPEI was done in strict observance of the rules and existing Abalos maintained there was no anomaly involved in the P1.3-billion deal.
The Comelec said it will file a motion for reconsideration within 10 days after it has received a copy of the compliance report from the Ombudsman.
Malacañang washed its hands off allegations that Borra is being made a scapegoat.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the issue is "totally within the discretion of the Ombudsman."
Borra has lamented that although he is the commissioner in charge of the Comelec’s modernization program, he feels that he is being singled out since he is the only one who was charged and is being impeached. – With Peter Tabingo and Regina Bengco
‘MECHANICS" in Malacañang could be behind the watered-down version of the report extricating Benjamin Abalos Sr., chairman of Commission on Elections (Comelec), from involvement in the Mega Pacific scandal, Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel said yesterday.
Pimentel said Palace strategists seized the opportunity to clear Abalos when the Ombudsman presented a panel report implicating all Comelec officials involved in the scandal, including Abalos.
Pimentel said Malacañang narrowed down the culprits to only Commissioner Resurreccion Borra and shielded Abalos.
"He (Borra) is expendable in the mind of her tacticians because he has no big political padrino," Pimentel said.
He did not give names of the "mechanics."
"Also, it is meant as a warning to those in government to be careful in their statements to media especially on poll cheating. Borra had loose lips in that regard. That’s why it’s convenient to punish him now," Pimentel added.
Borra had told media and senators during his confirmation hearing at the Senate that cheating indeed occurred during the 2004 elections. He also said cheating was done by both sides. He retracted his statements the following day.
Pimentel said Borra was used by Malacañang as "sacrificial lamb" and some sort of a "peace offering" to groups moving to impeach President Arroyo for a second try.
"It’s unfair to single out Borra," he said.
The Ombudsman submitted a resolution to the Supreme Court late Friday singling out Borra for possible impeachment by the House and saying the investigations on Abalos and the other commissioners are still unfinished.
However, a resolution submitted a year earlier to Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Victor Fernandez showed a panel of investigators had already found probable cause to indict all Comelec officials for graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust.
The Ombudsman gave no explanation why it set aside the findings of its own investigating panel and submitted a much watered-down report to the high court.
Party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva (Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption) said the Ombudsman was acting under the orders of Malacañang when the anti-graft body quashed the recommendations of its own panel of investigators.
He said Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez "only acted as expected of a close friend of the President and especially, the First Gentleman" when her office singled out Borra for impeachment and held off graft indictments against Abalos and the other active and retired Comelec commissioners.
He called President Arroyo the "mastermind of election fraud" and said she was protecting the commission for helping her in the last elections.
Villanueva called on Abalos and the rest of the Comelec officials implicated in the voided deal to resign out of delicadeza.
"The people are convinced the Comelec is riddled with corruption although there are still many people there, particularly those in the rank and file, who remain honest and faithful to serving the mandate of the commission. I hope Chairman Abalos and the commissioners would do the right thing and step down to save the institution," he said.
The case against the Comelec is based on three separate complaints alleging that the commission illegally awarded the automation deal to Mega Pacific eSolutions Inc (MPEI) although the firm was not a qualified bidder and had in fact flunked test runs on its electronic counting machines.
Comelec officials insist the bidding and the awarding of the contract to MPEI was done in strict observance of the rules and existing Abalos maintained there was no anomaly involved in the P1.3-billion deal.
The Comelec said it will file a motion for reconsideration within 10 days after it has received a copy of the compliance report from the Ombudsman.
Malacañang washed its hands off allegations that Borra is being made a scapegoat.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the issue is "totally within the discretion of the Ombudsman."
Borra has lamented that although he is the commissioner in charge of the Comelec’s modernization program, he feels that he is being singled out since he is the only one who was charged and is being impeached. – With Peter Tabingo and Regina Bengco
posted by brodkaster43 at Miyerkules, Hulyo 05, 2006
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