Press Release
March 18, 2009

"IS THERE NO ONE ELSE?" - KIKO ON GAITE APPOINTMENT

Independent senator and reforms advocate Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan yesterday raised the red flag on the possible appointment of Deputy Executive Secretary Manuel Gaite to replace Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Jesus Martinez.

"Is there no one else?" Kiko asked, then posed this rhetorical question: "Is there no other decent bureaucrat out there who will accept an appointment into the Arroyo administration?"

The appointment is being questioned because of Gaite's links to last year's NBN-ZTE scandal. During the Senate investigations held last year, Gaite himself admitted to having given P500,000 to NBG-ZTE star witness Jun Lozada, even as the former was aware that the Senate had issued a subpoena against Lozada last year. Gaite claimed that he gave the money to Lozada--someone he barely knew and had met only a couple of times--out of compassion for a fellow human being.

Pangilinan commented: "It's most unfortunate that the choice to replace the controversial Martinez has his share of controversy as well. Si Martinez, inaakusahan na tumanggap ng suhol. Si Gaite naman, na-involve sa di umano'y pagsuhol kay (Jun) Lozada sa halagang limang daang libong piso. Ganito na ba ka-walang kwenta ang mga pinagpipilian para makaupo sa gobyernong Arroyo? (Martinez has been accused of accepting bribes. Gaite, on the other hand, has been involved in the alleged bribery of Jun Lozada for five hundred thousand pesos. Is this how pathetic our options are for the Arroyo administration?"

The senator also challenged Gaite to decline the appointment in order to restore the integrity of the SEC, the regulatory body that is now under fire for the scandal involving the Legacy Group of Companies and the millions of pesos lost by Legacy plan owners, investors, and depositors.

Pangilinan called on the involved parties in Filipino, "Kung may delikadeza si Gaite, huwag na niyang tanggapin ang puwesto dahil mababahiran lang ang imahen ng SEC. Ang Malacañang naman, dapat mas palawakin pa ang paghahanap sa mga maaaring pumalit kay Martinez (If Gaite has enough integrity and honor, he should not accept the appointment because it will only smear the image of the SEC. Malacañang, in turn, should widen the search for [SEC Commissioner] Martinez's successor)."

"Bigyan naman nila ng kaunting halaga ang pagtiyak na ang mga karapat-dapat lamang ang makakaupo sa mga sensitibong puwesto sa gobyerno. Baka nakakalimutan na nila na may pananagutan sila sa publiko sa usaping ito. [Those in power] should place at least some importance in ensuring that only those who are worthy are the ones appointed to sensitive posts in government. Maybe they are forgetting that they are accountable to the public in this regard," Kiko reiterated.

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