ROXAS TO OMBUDSMAN: INCLUDE FG IN NBN-ZTE CHARGE SHEET

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today fired at the Office of the Ombudsman for absolving the First Family from graft charges over the controversial $329 million NBN-ZTE deal.

Roxas insisted that at the very best, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo should have been included in the charge sheet filed with the Sandiganbayan against former Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos and former NEDA chief Romulo Neri.

"Kaduda-duda ang desisyon ng Ombudsman. Habang nahaharap ngayon sa kasong graft and corruption ang mga alipores ng Malakanyang, hayun at libreng-libre pa rin ang mga utak nitong iskandalong ito," he said.

He said the conspiracy between the Ombudsman's office and Malacañang to spare the Arroyo couple remains apparent despite the inhibition of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez from the case.

"Alam naman nating kontrolado din naman niya (Gutierrez) ang mga tao niya. Hindi man siya aktibong nakilahok sa kaso, kaya pa rin naman niyang impluwensiyahan ang mga alipores niya," he said.

The Visayan senator stressed Mr. Arroyo is equally guilty of graft when he brokered the NBN-ZTE deal. He insisted the First Gentleman clearly had no business brokering in the project, and thus his unusual interest was uncalled for.

At the same time, Roxas questioned the timing of the release of the Ombudsman report, noting that the impeachment complaint against Gutierrez started only last Wednesday.

"Did they think that by releasing this report that Gutierrez will be absolved from the charges in the impeachment complaint? Of course not! She has to be held liable for betraying public trust by protecting the interests of Malacañang instead of the public, and the many other high profile graft cases that she just chose to sit on," he said.