Fwd: Asistio linked to Gang of 4
mana...@my-dejanews.com
Asistio linked to Gang of 4
By Rocky Nazareno, Martin P. Marfil and Cathy C. Yamsuan
FORMER Caloocan City Mayor Macario ''Boy'' Asistio is the tie that binds
former movie star Laarni Enriquez to the ''Gang of Four,'' the women who
have been identified as alleged influence peddlers in the textbook fund
scandal.
Asistio is said to be the ''high-ranking politician'' approached by Mary
Ann Maslog, President Estrada's cousin Celia Ejercito de Castro and Nora
Petines to intercede between them and Enriquez and her sister Alice
Geronimo.
Maslog, De Castro and Petines are said to be longtime lobbyists in the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS).
But in yesterday's Senate hearing on the textbook anomaly,
Maslog denied she knew the Gang of Four. Maslog failed a lie
detector test earlier this week.
Maslog is ''obviously trying to cover up (for somebody),''
according to Senate blue ribbon committee chair Sen. Aquilino
Pimentel.
Asked who Maslog was trying to protect, Pimentel said the person's
position was ''as high as the sky. Even higher. All the way up.''
Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora and presidential
spokesperson Jerry Barican went on the offensive and said the
Senate should first make sure there was basis to link Enriquez
to any wrongdoing before summoning her.
They were apparently referring to Sen. Raul Roco who on
Thursday asked the Senate blue ribbon committee to summon
Enriquez and three other women in the Gang of Four.
Enriquez's name was not even mentioned once in yesterday's
hearing, bolstering the suspicion among observers that the
Senate has been asked to spare her in its investigation of the
textbook scam.
''When the new administration came in, the three women (Maslog, De Castro
and Petines) needed clout and support to collar the DECS contracts,'' said
an Inquirer source. ''So they approached Asistio to contact Laarni.''
Asistio ''got in touch with Enriquez and got all of them
together,'' according to the Inquirer source.
Friends and lovers
The former Caloocan mayor is known in show business circles
because he, like President Estrada, has children with at least
three former movie stars--Djhoanna Garcia, Veronica Jones and
Nadia Montenegro.
Mr. Estrada has three children with Enriquez.
Jones is said to be a close friend of Enriquez.
Asistio is a close ally of President Estrada. Their close
relationship dates back to the days when Mr. Estrada was still
mayor of San Juan, Metro Manila.
With this latest revelation, Asistio will most likely be
summoned
by the Senate blue ribbon committee which is investigating the
P3-million bribery attempt in Malacañang on Jan. 19 and De
Castro's alleged lobbying to obtain the release of funds for
textbook contracts with the DECS.
De Castro was earlier identified by Education Secretary Andrew
Gonzalez as the woman who had lobbied for the release of P200
million in a textbook contract.
It was Maslog who delivered to Malacañang a box containing P3 million in
cash. It was believed to be meant as payoff from Esteem Enterprises Inc.,
which managed to corner a P400-million contract to supply books to DECS.
The National Bureau of Investigation has said Esteem was a
fictitious company.
Denied thrice
In yesterday's hearing of the bribe attempt, Maslog denied
knowing members of the Gang of Four.
Maslog answered ''no'' to three consecutive questions asked by
Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile on whether she was personally
acquainted with three of the women--Geronimo, De Castro and
Petines.
Curiously, Enrile failed to ask Maslog if she knew Enriquez,
whom sources said was the ''top honcho'' of the Gang of Four.
Yesterday was Maslog's third appearance before the Senate
blue ribbon committee.
When it was Senate Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona's turn
to grill Maslog, he also brought up the Gang of Four.
Maslog again denied knowing the group.
Pimentel insisted that Maslog was being questioned for acting as the
courier of the P3 million which ended up in the office of Budget Secretary
Benjamin Diokno.
In previous statements, Maslog claimed the delivery was a
mistake and Diokno was only supposed to receive coffee mugs
and not money.
Briber, bribee
''Maslog was the courier definitely but it is not yet
established who is the briber and mastermind and who is the bribee,''
Pimentel told reporters after the hearing. ''But we will get
into that.''
He said that after Maslog, he would summon Diokno and other
budget department officials before even considering
questioning Enriquez.
He said Diokno would have to explain specifically what was
discussed during his 30-minute conversation with Maslog in his
office after the discovery of the P3 million.
Zamora said Malacañang ''takes comfort'' in Pimentel's statement that
Enriquez would not be summoned.
''I understand Senator Pimentel has said he was not going on
any kind of witch hunt and we take comfort in what he has
said,'' Zamora said.
''This is based on speculation in the newspapers,'' Zamora said of the
reports on the Gang of Four. ''Have you seen any direct evidence that
(Enriquez) or anybody else is being linked (to the textbook anomaly)?
''Investigations are conducted not on mere speculations but on hard
evidence,'' the executive secretary added, pointing out he was a congressman
himself for several years.
''You only summon people to the Senate if there is a basis,''
Barican said.
Abuse
Senate President Pro Tempore Blas Ople shot down Roco's suggestion to
summon Enriquez before the blue ribbon committee, saying the Senate did not
have any evidence directly linking her to the issue.
Summoning Enriquez just because of ''pure gossip in the
corridors'' will constitute an abuse of the Senate's
investigative capacity, according to Ople.
''What is our business summoning this non-witness?'' he asked.
The Senate's power to investigate is only done in aid of
legislation, according to Ople.
Senate President Marcelo Fernan supported Ople's view.
''This matter must be approached with circumspection,'' Fernan
said. ''Once we unduly destroy a person's public image, it is
very difficult to restore it.
''Is there basis other than innuendos to summon the former actress
mentioned in news stories?'' he added. ''I think nothing in the ongoing
committee hearings suggest that she is involved.''
In a news conference, Ople questioned Roco's motive for
suggesting that Enriquez be put in the hot seat.
''We can only insist on ordering Enriquez's appearance if it is in aid of
legislation and not to be used to embarrass President Estrada or any other
political leader who happens to be the rival of (Roco),'' he said. ''For
motives that are otherwise, I find it to be unacceptable.''
Sober probe
Ople made it clear he was not trying to protect Enriquez.
''In fact,'' he pointed out, ''I was the one who, together with Sen.
Franklin Drilon, authored Senate Resolution 336 which ordered the inquiry.
My concern is that the investigation be conducted in a sober, rational and
orderly manner, and no political or partisan motive should be allowed to
intrude in it.''
To prevent future similar charges, Ople said President Estrada
should issue an executive order barring all his relatives and
friends from peddling influence in the government.
Ople recalled that the late President Ramon Magsaysay initiated such an
order upon assuming the presidency in 1953 through Executive Order No. 1.
''Because of the executive order, a younger brother of the President was
arrested for jueteng activities in Castillejos, Zambales, right in the
Magsaysay hometown, and a brother-in-law was forced to quit his logging
activities,'' Ople said.
Scapegoat
Budget Undersecretary Virgilio Ifurong complained he was
being set up as a scapegoat in the bribery case.
''From their line of questioning, it appears that I am the recipient of
the bribe money and that I was the one being protected by Maslog,'' Ifurong
said shortly after coming from the Senate hearing.
He declared he was not involved in the release of both the
special allotment release order (Saro) or the notice of cash
allocation (NCA) for the textbook contracts.
''I have a feeling I am now going to be pinned down,'' he added.
Ifurong said he has been working at the DBM for 23 years and
handling the DBM's internal administration since July 1998. He
said he has not participated in the processing and approval of
Saros and NCAs since the Estrada administration took over.
''This is the first time that I am being implicated,'' Ifurong
said. ''It
is really unkind, if not cruel. Now, they are saying that I am
the recipient (of the P3 million). There is no logic in that.''
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