All these legal maneuvering is making our heads spin.
Former Solicitor General Atty. Estelito Mendoza served as the lead counsel in former President and current Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Arroyo’s petition to get the Supreme Court (SC) to junk her plunder case.
Arroyo’s plunder case stemmed from the accusation that she conspired to (mis)use PHP365 million from the intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) from 2008-2010.
With that case dismissed by the SC and Arroyo walking free, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said in a press briefing that Arroyo “is not yet off the hook for a plunder investigation involving abuse of at least PHP57 million state lottery funds from 2004 to 2007.”
Mendoza is accusing Morales of being “cruel” for making the said statement.
“I will put it a little strongly — very dismaying, if not shocking. She should read the (SC) decision. What (Morales) wants to do is that when (Arroyo) is acquitted and walks free, Morales will immediately handcuff her and put her to jail again. I don’t think there can be anything more oppressive than that, if not cruel,” Mendoza said.
“Mendoza also questioned the motive of Morales in investigating Arroyo for alleged fund misuse during an earlier period of 2004 to 2007 when there was already a case covering the latter period of 2008 to 2010,” reports Marc Jayson Cayabyab in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Mendoza pointed out: “The charge is similar. In fact, it is surprising the subject of the new charge is for alleged disbursement or funds which took place earlier than the present case. So if this took place earlier, why were they not filed earlier or before this case?”
It looks like there are still so many questions about the case.
