Int’l hunt for 3 in PCSO case

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Justice has sought the help of the Interpol to locate three of 10 former officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) who have been charged with plunder together with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Lawyer Claro de Castro, head of the NBI Interpol unit, said former PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte and board members Luis Taruc V and Fatima Valdes are out of the country and will be put on the Interpol “red notice” list.

A red notice is an “advisory to all Interpol member-states that a fugitive from the Philippines is at-large and might be in their respective jurisdictions.

P366-M intel funds

The antigraft court Sandiganbayan issued the arrest orders for Arroyo and the former PCSO officials in connection with charges they embezzled P366-million in PCSO intelligence and confidential funds.

Documents required for the red notice have already been sent to the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, Castro said.

“We have filed our request before the PCTC to put the three accused on the red notice list,” Castro said.

Castro said the agency has confirmed the three accused left the country on different dates and have no record of return.

Records show Uriarte left the country on July 8 on board a Cebu Pacific flight and Taruc on July 19 on board a Cathay Pacific plane bound for Hong Kong.

The NBI Interpol head did not say when Valdes left and what airline he took.

Castro said the bureau has no record of the three fugitives’ final destination.

Seeking extradition?

Earlier, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said that if the country where the accused have fled to has a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with the Philippines, then the government will seek their extradition.

Former PCSO board of director Manoling Morato, also one of the accused in this case, is confined at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. He has been placed under NBI custody, said Irvin Garcia of the NBI Intelligence Division.

“We will bring him to the Sandiganbayan for an arraignment on Monday,” Garcia said.

Also charged before the Sandiganbayan were former PCSO chair Sergio Valencia, PCSO Assistant Manager for Finance Benigno Aguas, PCSO Directors Raymundo Roquero, former Commission on Audit Chairman Reynaldo Villar and COA Region V head Nilda Paras.