It was reported last Aug. 6 in this paper that the Sandiganbayan has denied the plea of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Rosario Uriarte and former board members Jose Taruc V and Fatima Valdes to dismiss the graft and misconduct case against them. The case stemmed from a free trip to Australia offered to the former PCSO officials by the contractor of a lottery paper supply deal during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The amount involved is “barya.”
The bigger case of plunder against them, along with Arroyo, was also found by the Sandiganbayan strong enough to deny a similar demurrer.
According to the charge, the looted public funds amounted to about P366 million.
But on review by the Supreme Court, its Arroyo-friendly majority dismissed the case for insufficiency of evidence. We will never get to see the color of that money again. Hence, more taxes need to be imposed to cover such losses in revenue.
Uriarte et al. should seriously consider hiring the same influential law firm to dangle another “review” before the same Supreme Court. They should strike while the iron is hot. Our current judicial system is so f—ked up that looters of public funds have never had it so freakin’ good.
RAMON N. TORREFRANCA, rn_torree@yahoo.com