ANOTHER plunder case was filed yesterday against former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo before the Office of the Ombudsman, bringing to six the cases brought against her since she relinquished the presidency.

Of the six plunder cases, this is the first that is in connection with the botched national broadband deal between the government and the National Broadband Network-Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment (NBN-ZTE) amounting to $329 million.

According to the complainants that include Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, former Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan chairwoman Carol Araullo, Arroyo and other accused violated Republic Act 7080 or the Plunder Law, Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Revised Penal Code, and Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Aside from Arroyo, also named respondents are former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and former Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

“Complainants hope that with the appointment of the new Ombudsman, this particular complaint, among other complaints filed against the officials of the former administration for their involvement in graft and corruption, election fraud and human rights abuses, will be seriously and genuinely investigated and the perpetrators of such a large scale fraud will be expeditiously and seriously prosecuted,” the complainants said.

The complaint is mainly based on the records of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee that conducted the investigation into the NBN deal.

The complaint alleged the Arroyo couple “amassed, accumulated and acquired ill-gotten wealth in the aggregate amount or total value of more than P50,000 or in this case at least $35 million which she received as commission or kickbacks from ZTE.”

The allegation was attested to by ZTE consultant Dante Madriaga during the Senate hearing.

The complaint also stressed that “Gloria Arroyo cannot deny the existence of the NBN-ZTE contract because she was the one who granted DOTC Secretary Mendoza full powers to sign the same with ZTE Corporation. Malacañang even bragged about the signing of said contract in its Official News Release (Release No. 5) issued by the Presidential News Desk/Office of the Press Secretary on 21 April 2007. Gloria Arroyo also personally witnessed and attended the signing of said contract at Boao, China,”

“With the receipt of said amount US$35 million, Gloria Arroyo surely enriched herself at the expense and to the damage and prejudice of the Filipino people and the Republic of the Philippines. Thus, she should be charged and prosecuted for the crime of plunder,” the complainants added.

The NBN contract, which was intended for the installation of a telecommunications network linking government offices, was said to be overpriced by about $130 million.

Reports also said that Mr. Arroyo used his influence in order for the ZTE to get the deal.

In the case of Abalos, Jose de Venecia III, who stood as one of the witnesses, told the Senate panel that the former Comelec chair brokered the deal and allegedly offered him $10 million in December 2006 to “back off” from the project.

Abalos likewise reportedly offered former NEDA director Romulo Neri P200 million as commission in exchange for endorsing the project.