Wednesday, January 28, 2009

World Bank Corruption Scandal Could Blow Up In Palace's Face

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has decided to thumb her nose at institutions like the World Bank and the Philippine Senate on the matter of those blacklisted construction firms now also linked to First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. The Palace has flatly rejected Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago's call for the sacking of Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, and Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., for their failure to act on the World Bank's November, 2007 advisory against those firms. The development is a serious break with a key admin ally in the Senate, and the World Bank issue is not the only thing roiling Senate waters. The Palace Boys have to be careful with this one. The World Bank is not one of our cuckolded institutions, like the Philippine House and Senate. It has a long institutional memory, and CORRUPTION could stick to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo like a bad case of acne for the rest of her life. Over at Filipino Voices, Ding Gagelonia has the ball on this one.
The Daily Tribune has the story on the continuing saga of JocJoc Bolante, Jimmy Paule and the Gang involved in the 728 million peso Fertilizer Fund Scam. Looks like these folks are facing plunder charges.
Twenty three years later, SCoRP rules on a 1985 case! For some reason "better late than never" would be a cruel consuelo de bobo.

2 comments:

EQ said...

"I recently met with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US agency that provides grants to countries based on governance. They have commended our gains, contributed P1 billion to our fight against graft, and declared us eligible for more grants. Thank you!"GMA 2008 State of The Nation address

Deany Bocobo said...

LOL, eq. she's a crackup ain't she?