Kampi official tagged as impeach briber

An official of President Arroyo’s party, Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), was identified yesterday as the person who offered several opposition congressmen P2-million bribes in exchange for their endorsement of  the impeachment complaint filed against the President.

In a privilege speech, Party-list Rep. Crispin Beltran of Anakpawis told his colleagues that it was Kampi deputy secretary general Francis Ver who approached him last Friday and offered him P2 million to endorse the complaint filed last week by lawyer Roel Pulido.

Pulido had accused Mrs. Arroyo of betraying public trust for doing nothing despite being informed that bribery was involved in the controversial $329-million national broadband network (NBN) contract signed by the government with the Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

House Sepaker Jose de Venecia Jr. ordered an investigation into the alleged attempt to bribe opposition congressmen to endorse Pulido’s complaint.

Beltran identified Ver as the Malacañang ally who was soliciting endorsements for the impeachment complaint in exchange for money.

Opposition lawmakers said the alleged bribe was meant to seek endorsement for the “weak” impeachment complaint of Pulido to speed up the dismissal of the complaint and give the President immunity from other moves to impeach her in the future.

Beltran said before the House suspended plenary debates on the proposed 2008 national budget at noon last Friday, “Mr. Ver approached this representation inside the session hall near the south gallery and offered P1 million in exchange for my signature to the impeachment complaint against the President.”

“At first, I thought that Mr. Ver was not serious, so I simply told him that I am busy and couldn’t entertain him. However, a few hours later after lunch break, maybe around 2 p.m., he (Ver) approached me again in the session hall near the south lounge and offered me P2 million. That was the time when I deemed he was indeed resolute in seeking my support,” Beltran recounted.

He said he politely dismissed Ver by telling him that he would first consult with his colleagues in the minority.

“Later that day, Atty. Pulido, through the endorsement of Laguna Rep. Edgar San Luis, filed an impeachment case against President Arroyo before the House at exactly 5 p.m. This representation strongly denounced the fake impeachment complaint endorsed by Rep. San Luis,” he said.

He surmised that the Pulido-San Luis petition could have been “concocted by Malacañang to save Mrs. Arroyo from a substantial, just and genuine impeachment complaint.”

Two other opposition congressmen, Reps. Dan Fernandez of Laguna and Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, confirmed reports that it was Ver who solicited their signatures to endorse the Pulido petition.

Like Beltran, Fernandez said he was offered P2 million and projects worth P10 million.

He told The STAR that he would go on record in plenary session to corroborate Beltran’s story.

Rodriguez, on the other hand, said Ver solicited his signature but money or projects were not offered.

He said they know each other since the days of former President Estrada.

Answering questions from his House colleagues, Beltran said he knew Ver from way back when he worked as chief-of-staff of then Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez.

Ver later became chief-of-staff of former Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno, who is now secretary of interior and local government and at the same time Kampi chairman. Like Ver, Kampi secretary general Igmidio Tanjuatco, former congressman of Rizal, is identified with Puno.

Kampi is the political party Mrs. Arroyo founded in 1997 when she was then a senator. The party president is Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte who, until recently, was feuding with Puno. 

Puno said that Ver will be replaced as Kampi secretary general.

“From now on Ver should consider himself resigned as deputy secretary general of Kampi,” Puno said.

Puno denied that the administration is trying to preempt a strong impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo or has done so in the past, but when asked if it were to do so, the administration would not choose Pulido to file the complanint.

He said Pulido is not only after the ouster of Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. but he was also accused of helping in the escape of detained rebel soldiers.

Sought for comment, Ver denied offering money and projects to congressmen in exchange for their signatures for the Pulido complaint.

However, he admitted talking to Beltran, Fernandez and Rodriguez.

Ver said his mission was to “smoke out” those who were inclined to file an impeachment case against Mrs. Arroyo or to endorse a complaint, if one was filed.

“I could not be in the session hall (on Friday) because I left at about 2 p.m. to play golf,” he added.

Ver traces his roots from Ilocos Norte and is a relative of the late Gen. Fabian Ver, who headed the dreaded Presidential Security Command during the Marcos years and also served as Armed Forces chief of the dictator.

De Venecia said the House investigation will end speculations on the alleged bribe and ensure the integrity of the institution.

“The bribery attempt was not isolated and it was committed in the premises of the House. It should be condemned by all,” he added.

Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora said there were at least six members of the opposition who were offered millions and projects in exchange for their signatures.

“All of them were offered projects worth P10 million, aside from P2 million in cash,” he said.

Sorsogon Rep. Jose Solis, who is a Kampi member, confirmed that Ver is the party’s deputy secretary general.

However, Solis said he could not believe that any Kampi member would tell Ver to offer money to any congressman in exchange for his or her endorsement of the impeachment complaint. “It is possible that he did it on his own.”

Meanwhile, Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson, deputy Speaker for Luzon, said the impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo will not prosper because it lacked endorsers from members of the opposition in the House of Representatives.

“It will not prosper as it lacks endorsers and nobody seems to be interested,” Singson said.

He said that Pulido’s complaint is very weak and has no solid proof to back his allegations. “It is flawed and has no valid and solid evidence.”

A prominent Catholic bishop yesterday expressed support for the revival of an impeachment case against President Arroyo.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, former president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said opposition lawmakers should not be pessimistic about the impeachment complaint filed by Pulido and instead find ways to improve the case.

“Pulido’s complaint is marred by suspicions that it is a Malacañang initiative in order to give immunity to Mrs. Arroyo from a substantial impeachment complaint. That is already ridiculous in itself but it would be a pity if the opposition would just let it be a gambit instead of helping improve its substance, credibility and viability,” Cruz said.

The prelate admitted he was not surprised why many lawmakers, especially those from the opposition, have remained convinced that Arroyo should be impeached considering the controversies her administration and family had been dragged into. With Jun Elias, Edu Punay, Paolo Romero, Kathrerine Adraneda