Column of Former Amb Ernesto Maceda Malaya dtd Mar 16, 2002

When Congress opened in July, 2001, Col. Victor Corpus, supported by NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco and DOJ Secretary Hernando Perez bannered charges that President Erap and Sen. Ping Lacson had deposits in the US, Hongkong and Canada totaling $728 million.

We said then that it was unbelievable that such a huge amount could be deposited in the US without the FBI and the US Bureau of Treasury detecting it, especially since Corpus hinted it came partly from drug dealing.

At one point, Director Wycoco whom Lacson jumped over as director general said that he had proof of at least $50 million in Lacson accounts. His boss, Secretary Nani Perez, said that they were just waiting for the official letter of the US Justice Department.

After three months when no letter came, the excuse was that the US Department of Justice officials were busy with the Sept. 11 twin tower tragedy investigations.

Since then it has become clear that PGMA is fully supported by no less than US President George Bush. If there were findings of any deposits of Erap and Lacson in the US, it would be easy for President Bush to direct the US DOJ or FBI to release the information to Perez or Wycoco.

But up to now, wala pa. In the meantime, didn't Secretary Joker Arroyo, Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee give Secretary Perez a deadline to submit the documents six months ago? Why is Sen. Joker not releasing the report of the Blue Ribbon committee?

At any rate, if there is such division and partisanship in the country today, with a Senate hopelessly deadlocked most of the time, Corpus, Wycoco, Perez and Joker are partly to blame.

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