Ombudsman urged to speed up GMA plunder case

Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay urged yesterday the Office of the Ombudsman to expedite its probe on charges by losing senatorial bet Frank Chavez that President Arroyo had diverted P728 million in agricultural funds to bankroll her presidential campaign.

Pichay, at the same time, slammed Chavez for being a sore loser in the recently held polls.

In a statement, the chairman of the House committee on national defense charged that Chavez is reviving an old and "discredited" issue against the administration apparently to seek vengeance after a dismal showing in the elections.

Pichay revealed that the Department of Agriculture (DA) had indeed allocated P5 million in development funds for the first district of Surigao del Sur for its farmers‚ agricultural inputs and other needs.

But he challenged Chavez to visit the DA’s CARAGA regional office so he could see that the funds were still intact and unused, and were earmarked for legitimate farmers‚ groups and their projects.

"Mr. Chavez has taken upon himself the image of avenging angel for the public interest. The reality is that he has let his bitter emotions over his crushing loss in the polls get the better of him. Now he is lashing out at the administration without any regard for the reputations he is besmirching or the harm he is attempting to foist on the country’s political stability," Pichay said.

Earlier this week, Chavez, who ran and lost in the senatorial race under the Alyansa ng Pag-asa banner, filed a plunder case with the Ombudsman against the President and other administration officials over the alleged diversion of the P728-million development assistance program for Filipino farmers.

Chavez charged that local government officials in partnership with unscrupulous DA officials had skimmed off these funds for diversion to political purposes in support of Mrs. Arroyo’s election bid, as he noted the suspicious timing of their release — a mere week before the May 10 national elections.

Pichay noted that Chavez’s charges "were already old-hat and discredited, because these were the same unsubstantiated allegations hurled by Sen. Panfilo Lacson in the heat of the campaign, and for the same purpose — "dirty political vendetta."

He pointed out that the agriculture department has regular programs for farmers and development assistance. The funds for these, Pichay said, "are released directly to the intended beneficiaries for clearly-identified projects." "For Mr. Chavez to now condemn an ongoing program that gives aid to millions of poor Filipinos is the height of irresponsibility and political opportunism," the lawmaker said.

In the case of Surigao del Sur’s first district, Pichay said the election ban had prevented the release of the program allotment for Surigaonon farmers.

"But even if the funds had been released on time, the farmers‚ groups would be the beneficiaries. It is unfortunate that, in the heat of the elections and its aftermath, Mr. Chavez is misleading the public for his own purposes," he said.

Named as Mrs. Arroyo’s co-respondents in the plunder complaint were Budget and Management Secretary Emilia Boncodin, Undersecretary Mario Relampagos and director Nora Oliveros.

Chavez later made an amendment to include Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo as an accessory, noting a paper trail he claimed to have uncovered linking a Lorenzo subordinate to the questionable fund release.

He mentioned the name of Agricultural Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante, who was purported to have advised local officials on the availability of the "farm input" funds.

Chavez also linked Bolante to First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, whom he accuses of pocketing 25 percent or P142 million of the diverted funds.

The First Gentleman’s camp challenged Chavez to back his charges with solid evidence.

Chavez said that besides Mr. Arroyo’s alleged share, 30 percent of the funds went to administration mayors, governors and congressmen, 20 percent to the suppliers of the "farm inputs" that were never delivered, and 25 to Bolante’s "runners."