Congress probe urged on Ballsy extort try

By Charlie V. Manalo
The Daily Tribune

Calls were initiated at the House of Representatives for a full-blown investigation into the brewing controversy involving President Aquino’s sister Ballsy Aquino-Cruz and husband Eldon Cruz, who both were allegedly involved in an extortion attempt on a Czech Republic company which is among the bidders for the supply of new coaches to the Metro Rail Transit (MRT).

The youth group Anakbayan called on congressmen and senators to conduct investigations against charges of corruption against Aquino-Cruz along with an in-law of executive secretary Paquito Ochoa, saying their acts constituted “betrayals of the public trust of the highest magnitude” if proven to be true.

The group made the call after several media outfits reported last week that Aquino-Cruz and her husband went to the Czech Republic in an attempt to extort around $2 million to $20 million from Inekon, a Czech train-producing company and a bidder for the supply of trains for the MRT 3.

In exchange for the money, Ballsy allegedly guaranteed that Inekon’s bid would be chosen by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC). In the report, Ballsy, her husband Eldon, along with the named group members allegedly traveled to the Czech Republic to meet with the officers Inekon, one of the principal bidders for the MRT-3 expansion deal.

The visit was allegedly facilitated by Steve Psinakis.

The reports also alleged that Eldon’s group asked between US$2 million to US$20 million as advance “facilitation fees” to ensure the award of the new MRT-3 contract goes to Inekon.

An official of the Czech Republic is reportedly set to spill everything on the Cruz couple’s visit to his country.
Around the same time, there were also reports that Jose Acuzar, brother-in-law of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, was awarded the contract for the construction of a relocation site in Barangay Kaybanban, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Acuzar’s company New San Jose Builders (NSJB) was previously awarded the contract for the relocation site in Montalban, Rizal for residents of the North Triangle community in Quezon City.

According to the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Acuzar, chairman of NSJB and owner of Goldenville Realty and Development Corp., has cornered the contract to convert more than 85 hectares of prime agricultural lands into a relocation site and evict farmers in Barangay Kaybanban in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan by the National Housing Authority’s (NHA) Towerville 7.

KMP alleged that Acuzar also owns the mansion in Samar Street that serves as the headquarters of the “Samar faction” that campaigned for the “Noy-Bi” (Aquino-Binay) tandem during the 2010 elections.

“These are very grave accusations. They should not be swept under the rug by lame claims that ‘the Aquino name is clean and corruption-free’. If the Aquino administration is not hiding anything, then it has nothing to fear from any investigation,” said Vencer Crisostomo, national chairman of Anakbayan.

However, since she’s an Aquino, Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda quickly exonerated Ballsy and her husband in the Inekon issue.

“It is really malicious of people to impute involvement on the sisters when we know for a fact that they (the Aquino siblings) carry the legacy of the names of their parents,” Lacierda was quoted saying.

Lacierda even went to the extent of saying that the “legacy” of former Sen. Ninoy Aquino and former President Cory Aquino, parents of Ballsy and the president, preclude the Cruzes’ capability of being involved in an anomalous deal.

“It’s a very precious legacy that they have been holding. They are the bearers of this legacy and they will not, in any way, demean this legacy,” Lacierda said adding that any attempt to besmirch the image of the Aquinos would only fail.

Aside from Lacierda, Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay came to Bally’s defense saying he knows personally the Aquino family and that he could personally guarantee they would not commit any wrongdoing.

“One’s surname is not a guarantee of whether one is corrupt or not, he said, referring to the statement of Vice President Binay that he knew the family of the late President Cory Aquino, including Ballsy, and that he could personally guarantee the lack of any wrongdoing,” the youth leader stressed.

“The fact that members of the administration are trying to have the public dismiss these allegations without any strong arguments is very suspicious indeed. It’s as if they are hoping we simply acquire a case of selective amnesia,” said Crisostomo.

Malacañang was quick to absolve the President’s sister as it even warned their detractors that what they’re doing was not working.

Lacierda, in a press briefing, said Ballsy and Eldon “have never involved themselves in any government affairs.”

“The only time that you will be seeing them is when there is an event here in Malacanang Palace and that’s very rare. I can only think of two or three times, or four times that they’re here in the whole three years that their brother has assumed the presidency,” he said.

“So, as to the author of this demolition job, I think it’s not working, and I think he better stop it,” he said.
Lacierda said that despite the various attacks against the President for the past three years since he assumed office, his approval ratings have remained at a record high.

“It shows that the people believe in the integrity of the President and, as long as the President continues in his path of ‘daang matuwid’, no amount of criticism, unfounded criticism, or demolition job against him will stick,” he stressed.

Even President Aquino “shrugged off” the accusations against her sister, saying that all along he has been informed of the allegations but does not believe in them.

According to Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, the President doesn’t want to waste his time over some “nonsense” allegations against his sister and his sister’s husband.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/16432-congress-probe-urged-on-ballsy-extort-try