PNoy: Gov't to file case vs Arroyo by November

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III today announced that his administration will file charges against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo by November.

"With regards to filing charges, the latest information that I have is by November we will be filing charges," Aquino announced in a press conference with foreign media in Makati City.

Aquino, however, did not say what specific cases and on what basis will be the charges that will be filed against his predecessor.

He said that they fear that possible witnesses "might be gotten to from now until November." He said it would be easier for his administration to gather evidence and witnesses if they would remain quiet on the details of the investigation.

"So I don't think it would be prudent on our part to give details as to which charges, and we're not even saying that it's necessary a corruption charge that will be the first one that will be filed," Aquino added.

Last month, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said that at least two major cases may be filed against former President Arroyo before December. He issued the statement amid calls from various sectors for the Aquino administration to fulfill its promise of holding the past administration accountable for various crimes, including corruption.

Abad said that a group is "doing work on that" but decline to divulge the people involved in the investigation and what are the developments on the probe.

He assured that Aquino has strict instructions to the Department of Justice to pursue the cases.

The ailing former president is already facing at least six plunder charges before the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman, which were filed by various groups since she stepped down from Malacañang in 2010.

Her husband, former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, is also facing various charges and investigations, one of which was based on the Philippine National Police's purchase of two second-hand helicopters in 2009.

The latest plunder case against against the former president was filed by Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño last month. The complaint, filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, was in connection with the allegedly graft-ridden $329-million National Broadband Network deal with China’s ZTE Corp.

Bayan Muna and Akbayan party-list group had also filed separate plunder cases against Mrs. Arroyo for the alleged misuse of funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Two plunder complaints were filed by former solicitor general Frank Chavez including the so-called fertilizer fund scam that involved the alleged diversion of more than P730 million in government funds to the former president's campaign kitty in 2004 and the alleged diversion of P550 million kept by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to Philhealth during the 2004 presidential campaign.

The other plunder complaint was filed by Danilo Lihaylihay for the past administration's alleged failure to remit the P72-million capital gains tax from the sale of the old Iloilo City airport to Megaworld.

Mrs. Arroyo and her husband are also being implicated in the alleged massive electoral fraud in 2007.