Arroyo’s plunder record explains surge in her wealth

Gloria Arroyo’s long list of plunder and corruption cases can explain the record growth of her wealth, according to labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno.

A recent report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) indicates that Arroyo got rich at a faster rate than former presidents Aquino, Ramos and Estrada – a feat not surprising with Arroyo’s consistent plunder of the nation’s coffers and the corruption-prone nature of the country’s bureaucracy.

“In her stay in office, Arroyo has devised various means of rechanneling huge sums of public funds from the people to the first family’s pockets,” said KMU Chairperson Elmer “Bong” Labog.

“With all these cases, we do not need her explanation for her wealth. We rather want that she be jailed for life,” added Labog.

Citing the March 2008 data of independent think-tank Ibon Foundation, Labog said Arroyo’s continued stay in power has cost the Filipino workers and people at least P7.3 billion worth of corruption money. “The P76.74 million-increase in Arroyo’s net worth is even far from the amount given to her as kickbacks in multi-billion deals.”

Among these deals, according to Labog, are the $329.48-M ZTE broadband deal, the P728-M fertilizer scam, the Jose Pidal bank accounts, the Northrail project, the $14-M IMPSA power plant project, and the P1.3-billion poll automation project.

“It seems ‘Donya Gloria,’ Imeldific as she is, is bent on emulating former president Marcos with her record ill-gotten wealth, aside from her grim human rights record,” said Labog.

“And by emulating Marcos, she will earn fate similar to what the dictator suffered in the 1986 Edsa uprising,” he added.#