FACES OF THE NEWS
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
The House deputy speaker is on a roll. The Ombudsman cleared her of charges on the misuse of P900 million in Malampaya funds in 2009 when she was President. The Ombudsman dismissed the complaint against her, then Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, and two others for insufficient evidence, but approved the filing of charges against then Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, then Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, and 23 others. This was her third legal victory this year. A graft case and a plunder case against her were earlier dismissed.
Simeon Datumanong
The former House deputy speaker and justice secretary may have to come out of retirement to defend himself in court. The Ombudsman has ordered the filing of graft charges against him on the misuse of P3.8 million in pork barrel funds. He allegedly requested that his congressional allocations for livelihood projects in three municipalities in Maguindanao province be coursed through the nongovernment organization (NGO) Maharlikang Lipi Foundation Inc. without public bidding. He denied entering into a contract with the NGO.
Aurelio Umali
The former Nueva Ecija lawmaker will have to face trial for graft at the Sandiganbayan. The Ombudsman has indicted him on the misuse of P15 million in pork barrel funds in 2005, along with alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and four others. He allegedly endorsed Napoles-run nongovernment organizations for the purchase of bottles of liquid fertilizer and irrigation pumps, all worth P15 million. The purchase was to be charged against his congressional allocation and meant for his constituents in his district. It turned out these were ghost purchases.
Ferdinand Marcelino
The Marine officer is now the subject of manhunt by the national police after the Manila Regional Trial Court issued a warrant for his arrest. His troubles began when antinarcotics agents found him inside a drug laboratory they raided in Sta. Cruz, Manila, on Jan. 21, 2016, that led to the seizure of P300 million worth of meth. It was an odd turn of events for Marcelino, who played key roles in busting drug syndicates as an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. He claimed he was part of a legitimate undercover operation when he was arrested.
Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito
The senator could now sleep with a “smile on his face.” Days before Christmas, he was cleared of the graft charges arising from San Juan City’s acquisition of high-powered firearms using calamity funds in 2008 when he was city mayor. The Sandiganbayan dismissed the charges against him for lack of evidence. If at all, it’s the city council that should be held liable for specifying the brand of the arms to be purchased, it said. The senator had already begun serving his 90day suspension when the ruling came out, but still, it was a source of relief for him.
Alyssa Valdez
As one of the driving forces behind local volleyball’s resurgence, Alyssa Valdez hopes the international audience also gets to appreciate Filipino talent. So the former Ateneo star made sure to grab the chance when a Thai club team asked her to play as an import. “I am very excited about this and hope that this opens doors for more Filipino volleyball players to get the chance to play overseas,” Valdez said. The 5-foot-9 spiker will leave for Thailand in two weeks to join 3BB Nakornnont as her new team prepares for a tournament slated Jan. 29.