Kiko says plunder case against former Cabinet officials of Aquino seems "a cover-up"

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said that plunder case filed against former cabinet members of former President Aquino is only a “cover up” for the cases faced by President Duterte’s allies.

Pangilinan, the president of the Liberal Party, issued a statement in connection to the plunder case charged to former cabinet officials under Aquino over alleged anomalous MRT-3 transactions.

“When we compare this to the plunder case filed against 9 Cabinet secretaries of former President Aquino and 3 undersecretaries, there seems to be a cover-up. Is this negligence or incompetence?” Pangilinan said in an issued statement on Wednesday.

He mentioned several cases “involving allies” of President Rodrigo Duterte, for instance is the case of Supt. Marvin Marcos, the police official allegedly involved in Mayor Rolando Espinosa’s death, that he was promoted despite the case against him.

He also cited the names of Immigration Deputy Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles who were involved in extortion case; and former Customs officials Gerardo Gambala and Milo Maestramcampo, whom according to Pangilinan only got transferred to other government agency.

“Critics are silenced, allies go scot-free,” Pangilinan said.

“Despite all these, we trust that the Ombudsman will be fair and render impartial justice. We are confident that the former secretaries accused of wrongdoing will be able to defend and exonerate themselves,” he added.

On Tuesday, the Department of Transportation officially filed a plunder case before the Office of the Ombudsman against former Cabinet officers who allegedly were involved in anomalous transactions for the maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3).

Primary respondents are former Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and Mar Roxas, who was the former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary. 

There are nine more former Cabinet secretaries whose name were listed in the 67-page complaint document filed by DoTr Undersecretary Reinier Yebra.

Source:  GMA News