Lawyer: No misuse of ₱38.8-B Malampaya funds during Arroyo presidency
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 3) — The legal team of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is confident the graft complaint filed against her would be junked as they denied claims the multibillion-peso funds from the Malampaya project were misused.
Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, the legal counsel of now Deputy House Speaker Arroyo, said Tuesday that they have yet to receive the official copy of the charge.
"So we cannot make any specific comments as of this time. Suffice it to state that based on newspaper reports, the complainant admits that the funds concerned were used for public purposes," he said in a statement.
"Therefore, in accordance with settled legal principles, Pres. Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term, and we are confident that these charges will be proven false, in the same manner that other accusations made before them have been shown to be baseless," Topacio added.
National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms, Inc. (NASECORE) president Pete Ilagan and Boses Ng Konsyumer Alliance, Inc. (BKAI) president Roger Reyes slapped Arroyo with a fresh complaint, alleging that she abused her presidential discretion.
The complainants argued that the ₱38.807 billion intended for the exploration and development of indigenous energy resources was spent instead on other projects.
On Monday, NASECORE said the complaint against Arroyo was solid.
