Iglesia ni Cristo shows teeth

Another scam at the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the watch of Director General Jesus Verzosa has been exposed.

The irregularity involves the production of license cards for firearms and for security guards worth P1 billion.

The PNP’s deal with Nanjing Industrial Tools and Equipment Co. did not pass through a public bidding.

If Director General Nick Bartolome, the current PNP chief who ordered the investigation into the scam, digs deeper, he may find the name of former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

It has been alleged that Arroyo, who is also being linked to the sale to the PNP of his helicopters that he reportedly passed off as brand-new, was into every conceivable scam when his wife, Gloria, was in power.

*  *  *

From oil smuggling to “swings” (getting out cargo from the piers without paying duties and taxes) at Manila South Harbor and Manila International Container Port (MICP), Mike Arroyo’s name has always cropped up.

The “swings” had become so rampant at South Harbor and MICP that President Gloria formed the now defunct Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) to counteract her husband’s special friend, Vicky Toh, who was believed to be behind smuggling activities at the piers.

But the biggest scam that “FG” was allegedly involved in was the overpriced ZTE National Broadband Network (NBN) deal for which he and former Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos reportedly received billions of pesos in commissions.

Even if Gloria eventually scrapped the deal, Mike and Abalos allegedly did not return the money they got from China’s ZTE Corp.

Mike Arroyo did not spare “jueteng,” an illegal numbers game.

He allegedly caused the assignment of police generals to regions where jueteng was rampant so he, his brother Iggy and son Mikey would have a share of the jueteng pie.

It’s surprising why Mike Arroyo has not been charged with any crime for his past misdeeds.

*  *  *

The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) showed its teeth during a rally at the Luneta Tuesday that was attended by some 600,000 of its members.

But President Noy professes innocence—“patay malisya” in Tagalog street lingo—over the political message of the huge rally.

He said it was just an “evangelical gathering” as the INC itself billed it.

The congressmen-prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona have rested their case against him on the 25th day of the trial.

Corona’s defense lawyer in the trial is former Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas, an INC member.

Congressmen-prosecutors said they were already done presenting all their evidence.

Or were they really?

Let’s remember that all politicians—congressmen and women included—court the INC for its block voting.