ROXAS TO GONZALEZ: DO YOUR JOB

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today hit Justice Secretary Raul for blaming the Senate for "delays" in his department's investigation into the complaints filed against Legacy owner Celso de los Angeles and his corporate cohorts.

"Baliw ba siya?" he asked, pointing out vital documentary evidence have been transmitted by the Senate trade and commerce committee, which he chairs, to the Department of Justice (DoJ), through the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), as early as March 12.

"Noong isang buwan pa namin ipinadala sa opisina niya ang mga ebidensiyang kailangan para sa imbestigasyon nila. Hanggang ngayon ba ay hindi niya pa ito nakikita sa lamesa niya? (The documents have been submitted to his office as early as last month. Has he not seen them on his desk?)," he asked.

The Senate panel has transmitted to the DoJ, through the NBI, copies of the transcript of its March 9 public hearing and the affidavits of former Legacy chief executive officer Carolina Hiñola and former chief finance officer Namnama Pacetes-Santos, who have both detailed how corporate funds were spent by and intermingled with the personal funds of De los Angeles.

The documents were received by NBI Special Investigator III Laureano C. Tugas II, who was authorized by NBI Special Action Unit chief Atty. Angelito DLP Magno. The NBI Special Action unit was formed by NBI director Nestor Mantaring to investigate the Legacy mess on the directives of Gonzalez.

"Gonzalez should coordinate with his officers. This is a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Or maybe, the Department has not done anything?" Roxas said.

The Visayan senator said Gonzalez is better off doing his job instead of pining blame to the Senate or other personalities the ineptitude and inaction of his department.

"Nagtataka ako dito kay Gonzalez kung bakit imbes na gawin niya ang trabaho niya, itinuturo niya pa sa iba ang kakulangan nila. Mabuti nga at iniimbestigahan namin ito sa Senado dahil kung hindi ay hindi naman ito papansinin ni Raul Gonzalez (I cannot understand why instead of doing his work, Gonzalez is making all these noise and blaming his office's incompetence to others. It is good the Senate is investigating this because if not, Raul Gonzalez would not even spend a minute to look into it) ," he said.

"Inuulit ko: handang makipagtulungan ang Senado sa anumang ahensiya ng gobyerno na nag-iimbestiga sa malawakang panlolokong ginawa ni Celso de los Angeles sa ating mga kawawang kababayans. Mahalagang mabigyan natin ng katarungan ang pagkakanakaw ng kanilang mga pinaghirapang ipon (I repeat: The Senate is willing to cooperate with any government agency investigating the Legacy fund mess. It is important that we bring justice to the victims who lost their hard-earned savings due to Legacy's illegal schemes)," he added.