News Release
February 16, 2008
Reference: Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general, KMP
 
“Ombudsman and DOJ probes on ZTE prelude to a whitewash!”-KMP
They have not even finished P728 million fertilizer scam case
 
The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) lambasted the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for ordering a belated investigation to the anomalous ZTE deal
 
According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of KMP, “this is an obvious attempt by Malacanang to divide the public and the media’s attention from the Senate probe so that the administration can launch an offensive using those offices against Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada,”
 
“How can DOJ Sec. Gonzalez do an impartial probe on the case when he already said that what Lozada did was all drama? Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierez is also very close to First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. Gutierez should at least inhibit herself so that there would be no conflict of interests. Besides, they have not even finished the P728 million fertilizer scam case and from all indications they already slept on it,” said Ramos.
 
“We filed the case almost four year ago in June 2004, but up till now nothing has happened. We even filed a motion to expedite the case but still nothing. How can we expect that they would do an impartial and swift probe on the ZTE case when their records speak for itself? They only go after small fry but protect the big fish like Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself and her husband,” added the peasant leader.
 
“Malacanang just wants to whitewash the case so that the First Family can come clean and pin former COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos as the scapegoat at most like what they did with Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante. What we want is a genuine probe that would lead to the punishment of those responsible for this scandal. We are warning the Ombudsman and the DOJ, that the people are closely watching them, they should not do anything fishy because that may be the final straw to draw millions of people to the streets” ended Ramos. # # #