Leonen gets Arroyo petition in PCSO plunder case

MANILA, Philippines - The plunder case of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the alleged misuse of P366-million intelligence fund of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has been assigned to President Benigno Aquino III's latest appointment to the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.

Leonen was given the task to be the writer of the case after two other SC associate justices -- Diosdado Peralta and Estela Perlas-Bernabe -- decided to inhibit from handling the case.

Leonen, a former dean of the University of the Philippines law school, was the government's chief negotiator with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Malacañang had said that Leonen's appointment fo the high court is part of Aquino's effort to reform the judiciary.

Peralta refused the case out of delicadeza. The magistrate informed the high court that his brother-in-law, Atty. Cornelio Aldon, is the legal counsel of former PCSO board of director Raymundo Roquero, who is one of the accused in the fund scam pending before the Sandiganbayan.

Roquero, Arroyo and another accused Nilda Plaras had filed petitions before the high court against the Sandiganbayan's hearing of the plunder case.

After Peralta inhibited from the case, Bernabe unloaded it to a more junior member during the regular SC en banc session last December 4.

Next to Bernabe is Leonen, the most junior justice of the high court. Bernabe is ranked 14 and Leonen is ranked 15 in terms of seniority in the SC.

Meanwhile, the SC said it has consolidated the petitions filed by the accused.

In a two-page resolution dated Nov. 20, 2012, the SC ordered the consolidation of the case of Plaras along with Roquero and Arroyo.

Plaras' case was formerly with the SC Third Division and the SC en banc ruled to accept the case.

"The Court en banc resolved to: (a) Accept these cases which were referred to the Court en banc by the Third Division in the latter's resolution dated November 14, 2012; and (b) Consolidate these cases with GR No. 203563 (Raymundo T. Roquero vs. Sandiganbayan First Division) and GR Nos. 203740-41 (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo vs. Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan First Division)," the resolution read.

Arroyo refused to enter any plea during her arraignment at the Sandiganbayan last October 29 on the charge that she had plundered P366 million in PCSO funds during her term as president.

The Office of the Ombudsman alleged that Arroyo, some PCSO and Commission on Audit officials were accused of the fund scam between 2008 and 2010.

The SC excluded former COA Region 5 Director Nilda Plaras from being arrested along with Arroyo and eight other accused in the case after the SC en banc issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) in favor of Plaras.