Rep. Casiño disappointed over graft case vs Gloria Arroyo, pushes for plunder

MANILA, Philippines—Bayan Muna Party-list Representative Teddy Casiño expressed disappointment over the filing of graft, not plunder case against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in relation to the NBN-ZTE deal.

“We are glad that criminal charges are filed against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but we are somewhat disappointed that only graft charges were filed by the Ombudsman,” Casiño said in a statement saying “we believe that the elements of plunder have been met.”

Casiño said they will file a partial motion for reconsideration before the Office of the Ombudsman or file a separate plunder case altogether “so that the current case can now progress.”

Aside from Mrs. Arroyo, among the accused are her husband lawyer Jose Miguel Arroyo, former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos, and former DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

The complaint is mainly based on records of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigation into the NBN deal.

The Arroyo couple, the complaint said, “amassed, accumulated and acquired ill-gotten wealth in the aggregate amount or total value of more than fifty million pesos (P50,000,000.00) or in this case, at least US$35 Million, which she received as commission or kickbacks from ZTE.”

This was attested to by ZTE consultant Dante Madriaga during the Senate investigation, the complaint said.