DOJ approves fresh charges vs Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Justice (DoJ) has recommended the filing of malversation charges against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over an alleged diversion of migrant workers medical funds to support the US-led war in Iraq.

Complainant Francisco Chavez accused Arroyo of approving the diversion of US$293,500 or roughly P16.5 million from the funds of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to finance preparatory activities such as stockpiling and purchase of vehicles of several diplomatic outposts in Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Iran in support of the war in Iraq.

Aside from Arroyo, the DOJ panel also recommended the filing of similar criminal complaints against former Foreign Affairs secretary Alberto Romulo, former OWWA administrator Virgilio Angelo and former Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) president Francisco Duque.

The panel,  led by Senior State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva,  said it could not find any justification why the OWWA funds should be used to bankroll the Philippine contingent to the Iraq war.

The Philippines sent 60 medics, engineers and other troops to Iraq. But in July 2004, Arroyo ordered the withdrawal of the Philippine contingent after the Iraqi insurgents kidnapped Filipino truck driver Angelo dela Cruz and demanded the Philippine troops to leave.

Chavez, quoting the 1987 Constitution, said that “all money collected on any tax levied for a special purpose shall be treated as a special fund and paid out for such purpose only.”

He said that if the purpose of the creation of a special fund has been achieved or abandoned, the balance, if any should be transferred to the general funds of the government.

In this case, he said the OWWA fund, by its very nature and express statutory edicts “is meant for the direct and exclusive benefit of OFWs.”

Chavez said that by “approving said requests for disbursements to be drawn from the OWWA fund, respondents have clearly violated the constitution.”

But the DOJ dismissed the same charges against former Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas and incumbent Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz for lack of evidence.

Arroyo is currently under hospital arrest on charges of electoral sabotage. Separate charges have been filed against the former leader over the botched national broadband deal with China’s ZTE Corp.