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REOPENING OF SENATE PROBE INTO JOSE PIDAL BANK ACCOUNTS WARRANTED BY
SANDRA CAM’S REVELATION
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today backed the
reopening of the Senate inquiry into the “Jose Pidal” bank accounts
following the revelation of confessed jueteng bagwoman Sandra Cam that
points to First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo as the real owner of the
secret bank deposits.
Pimentel said the revival of the probe is warranted by the Senate testimony
of businesswoman Cam that presidential brother-in-law Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo
faked the signature of Mike Arroyo, his older brother, to make it appear
that the “tainted” bank accounts, supposedly amounting to P270 million,
belong to him.
Appearing at a Senate hearing on the jueteng controversy, Cam disclosed that
in 2003 retired Chief Superintendent Restituto P. Mosqueda, then head of the
Philippine National Police in the Bicol region, had confided to her he
conspired with the Arroyos to forge the specimen signature of the First
Gentleman while the Jose Pidal scandal was being investigated by the Senate
blue ribbon committee.
A former provincial board member of Masbate, Cam described herself as a
friend of Mosqueda to whom the police general allegedly entrusted the role
of receiving protection money from jueteng operators in Bicol region through
her bank account and distributing the payola to different recipients,
including Rep. Iggy Arroyo.
She said that Mosqueda had told her that as head of the PNP Crime
Laboratory, he certified that Iggy Arroyo’s signature as Jose Pidal was
authentic. But he said it took weeks of practice before Iggy could imitate
his brother’s signature.
Pimentel said Cam’s testimony indicates that both Iggy Arroyo and Mosqueda
were lying when they appeared before the Senate to shed light on the real
identity of Jose Pidal.
“If you examine the signature of Iggy Arroyo and compare it with the
signature of Mike Arroyo, you would easily notice the difference,” he said.
According to Ms. Cam, Mosqueda even bragged to her that the Arroyo
administration would have long been toppled if he had not cooperated with
the Arroyos and produced the bogus certification.
“You may not know it but I was the director of the PNP crime laboratory
during the Jose Pidal case. And it took two weeks for Iggy Arroyo to
practice doing the First Gentleman’s signature,” Cam quoted Mosqueda as
having told her in a private conversation.
Pimentel said if Cam was telling the truth, Mosqueda could be held liable
for falsification of public documents and perjury. Likewise, he said Iggy
Arroyo could be charged with the same criminal offenses.
He said Mosqueda should not be allowed to go unpunished for his offenses
even if PNP authorities are saying they could no longer go after him since
he has already retired from the service.
Pimentel said the Senate blue ribbon committee, chaired by Sen. Joker
Arroyo, should view the Cam’s revelation as an opportunity to reopen the
investigation into the Jose Pidal scandal and complete it down to its
logical conclusion.
-o0o-
Date: June 15, 2005
Ref: Omeng / (02) 5526731
http://www.nenepimentel.org |
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