Thursday, October 6, 2011

A Repost From Aurea Calica of The Philippine Star

Palace distances self from poll fraud probe
By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated October 07, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (126) View comments

MANILA, Philippines - MalacaƱang is keeping its distance from pronouncements by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes that former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo might spend Christmas in jail if indicted for election sabotage.

“MalacaƱang is hands off on the matter because they are still appreciating, evaluating the evidence. So let’s wait for that. We are also awaiting the results of their investigation,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing yesterday.

“We are not privy to the deliberations going on in the task force. So it’s a statement made by Brillantes. So we don’t know the stage at which they are right now.”

A joint Comelec-Department of Justice (DOJ) task force is establishing probable cause to charge the Arroyo couple with election sabotage for allegedly masterminding cheating in the 2007 senatorial elections.

Lacierda stressed there would be no special treatment for the Arroyos if they are indicted and detained for a non-bailable election offense.

“These are being studied. We don’t know what the status is right now. We don’t even know when it’s going to happen. But, nonetheless, everyone has to go through the legal process. If it is filed before the courts, it will be subject to the discretion of the courts and once it’s filed with the court, we know that we’re all hands off when it comes to that,” Lacierda said.

He said he he did not know why Brillantes made such a statement.

“Maybe because he’s involved in the task force, he is in a better position to dictate the pace by which the task force is undergoing the investigation,” Lacierda said. “So I leave it to them.”

Obvious bias

Meanwhile, the lawyer of Mr. Arroyo said yesterday Brillantes should resign for his obvious bias against his client.

Lawyer Inocencio Ferrer said Brillantes, who is leading a joint investigation with the DOJ on alleged electoral fraud committed by his client and Mrs. Arroyo, cannot be trusted to make a fair judgment because of his repeated public statements even when the probe is not finished.

He also cited reports that Brillantes was election lawyer for various opposition candidates against the previous administration as well as the notorious Ampatuan clan in the past elections.

“Brillantes should resign because his public pronouncement of the guilt of the Arroyos and his statement that the Arroyos will spend Christmas in jail before any complaint has been filed and prior to a trial have clearly shown his bias, prejudgment and clear conflict of interest,” Ferrer said in a text message.

“He should resign to protect the institution of the Comelec,” he said.

Brillantes earlier said the testimony of former Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas could help prove the Arroyos’ involvement in alleged manipulation of votes.

He reiterated yesterday that the statement of Unas is strong and only his former boss, former Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., can disprove it.

In his sworn affidavit, Unas alleged that Mrs. Arroyo had ordered Ampatuan to rig the elections in Maguindanao in favor of her Team Unity (TU) senatorial bets. – With Paolo Romero, Sheila Crisostomo

Reposted From Aurea Calica of The Philippine Star

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

A Repost From Marlon Ramos of Philippine Daily Inquirer

Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, wife face P73.8M tax evasion suit

By
2 share37 35

Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo and Angela Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Justice (DoJ) has recommended the filing of a P73.85-million tax evasion case against Ang Galing partylist Representative Juan Miguel Arroyo and his wife Angela.

In a resolution, a three-member panel of prosecutors headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Lagrimas Agaran found probable cause in filing the criminal information against the Arroyos.

The 28-page resolution was issued on September 16, but was released to the media only on Tuesday.

The DoJ prosecutors indicted Arroyo for three counts of violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code while his wife was charged with seven counts for their failure to file income tax returns.

Arroyo was also charged with three counts of failure to supply correct and accurate information in his income tax returns.

On April 7, the Bureau of Internal Revenue sued the lawmaker for his alleged “willfull attempt to evade or defeat tax” over his alleged failure to settle his tax obligations to the government in 2005, 2008 and 2009.

Arroyo’s wife, on the other hand, purportedly failed to file her income tax return from 2003 to 2009.

The BIR complaint was the first case filed in court against a member of the Arroyo family since former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo finished her term last year.

Reposted From Marlon Ramos of Philippine Daily Inquirer

Followers

How do you want to see your blog reviewed, evaluated and rated as I see it? It's free!!! All that I request from you is a backlink from your blog to my blog by including my blog in your blogroll or enroll my blog in your subscriber or email feed. Aren't you curious how I will rate your blog as I see it?

To All Filipino Bloggers

May I invite you to join Filipinos Unite!!!. You can do so by commenting on my post or sending me an email containing your name, address, name of blog and its url. My email address is melalarilla@gmail.com. Your name, address, name of blog and its url will be included in the official registry of members posted permanently at my blog. Please join and be counted. Thank you so much. Mabuhay and God bless you and your loved ones.