MANILA, Philippines鈥擣ormer Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales dismissed on Tuesday charges about the alleged plunder by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
In an interview over 990 AM Radio, he declared that聽 鈥渢here was no plunder聽 even if the alleged misuse of government funds were proven.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there is plunder here because there is no personal benefit. One ingredient of plunder is a personal benefit,鈥� Gonzales rationalized.
Gonzales said the fund did not go directly to Arroyo鈥檚 pocket, so there was no plunder to speak of.
Gonzales made light of the filing of plunder charges against the former president, and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Rosario Uriarte. He said this was just part of strategy 鈥渢o scare the daylights out of anybody鈥�.
鈥淥bviously, he (Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares) is biased; he will do anything to paint a bad picture of Gloria,鈥� Gonzales observed.