P1.6-B plunder suit vs GMA dismissed

Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo has dismissed a plunder suit filed against President Arroyo by a former chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for allegedly using some P1.6 billion in road users’ tax for campaign purposes.

The anti-graft investigating body said the Chief Executive could not have known if public works officials had tinkered with government funds.

The complainant, retired colonel Mariano Santiago, told The STAR he would not seek a reconsideration of the ruling, but charges of graft and malversation of public funds and plunder remain against former Public Works and Highways Secretary Florante Soriquez, former acting Finance Secretary Juanita Amatong and Budget and Secretary Emilia Boncodin, all ex-officio members of the National Roads Board.

Santiago, a lawyer, earlier said his case was strengthened by the admission of Soriquez, who is now back to his former post as public works undersecretary, that the P1.6-billion fund from the road users’ tax was disbursed "without public bidding."

Santiago, who supported Sen. Panfilo Lacson in the May 2004 presidential elections, said he was aware of the dim chances of his complaint, but insisted that Mrs. Arroyo could still be probed.

He said all he wants was to "stop the government from using public funds for campaign purposes."

"Funds coming from the road users’ tax or the motor vehicle registration fees must be spent solely for maintenance of roads and drainage, installation of efficient and adequate traffic lights and road safety devices and air pollution control," Santiago said.

"Street sweeping has never been considered as road maintenance," he explained. " This is virtually vote-buying."

He said an audit by Commission on Audit should be conducted to verify the government’s expenses for materials used in GMA billboards since these were the same as campaign posters.