'Iggy faces tax evasion, graft, perjury raps'

MANILA, Philippines - Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo can be charged in court and probably hauled to jail for tax evasion, the head of the Senate’s anti-graft body today said.

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said in a television interview that Iggy Arroyo may be charged with tax evasion based on the testimony of his alleged bookkeeper Rowena del Rosario.

Del Rosario told the committee’s hearing yesterday that the Arroyo-owned company LTA Inc. leased the Robinson Raven helicopters, which the congressman earlier said was owned by Archibald Po’s Lionair Inc., not his brother, former first gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo.

Guingona said that based on Del Rosario’s testimony, the LTA Inc. paid P18 million, in cash, from 2004 to 2011 for the maintenance of five Robinson Raven helicopters.

“All cash. No documentation. They operate like drug lords... Obviously he has no tax payment for that. I don’t know how you can go away with that. Doon na lang, Al Capone na siya doon,” Guingona said in a television interview, referring to the famous mafioso, who was put to jail on tax evasion charges.

He said that Del Rosario told the Senate that she would always call up Iggy Arroyo whenever Lioinair Inc. sends a billing to LTA Inc.

The Arroyo camp claims that Lionair Inc. was the real owner of the Robinson Raven helicopters, two of which were sold to the Philippine National Police in 2009.

“Rowena said Lionair would give a billing, she would call up Iggy, and Iggy would produce the cash and give it to Rowena,” Guingona said, recalling the bookkeeper’s testimony at the hearing yesterday.

The alleged bookkeeper was ordered arrested by the Senate yesterday for her alleged “brazen, through the teeth, in-your-face lying” during the hearing.

Guingona said that aside from the maintenance payment, Del Rosario was also caught lying when she claimed that LTA Inc. supposedly paid P500,000 for the lease of the helicopters to its manufacturer, Robinson.

The senator said that this claim was unbelievable since Robinson does not lease its helicopters.

“Why would you pay the manufacturer for a lease agreement? The business of Robinson is manufacturing and selling helicopters. They don’t lease out helicopters,” Guingona said.

In the filing of a perjury case against Po, the former first gentleman presented to the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office an alleged lease agreement that the LTA Inc. entered into with Lionair.

Senators, including Guingona, believe that the lease agreement was “doctored” and “bogus”.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who exposed the scam in the sale of the helicopters to the PNP, had said that the lease agreement had several errors, which makes it look like that it was bogus.

Graft, perjury

Aside from tax evasion, Guingona said that Iggy Arroyo and his brother, Mike, can also be charged with perjury and graft.

He said the Arroyos are liable for perjury for submitting a bogus lease agreement and for making false claims on the PNP choppers deal scam.

“Anti-graft... When you fool the government and you fool the people of the Philippines, when you enter into a contract which is manifestly unjust to the government, then you go to jail,” he said.

Meanwhile, Guingona said that the Senate will not force Iggy Arroyo to attend the hearings. He said that they could not issue a subpoena against the congressman due to interparliamentary courtesy.

Yesterday, the committee declared that it will no longer invite Mike Arroyo to the PNP choppers deal hearing because of his health condition. -- Angelo L. Gutierrez