The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has filed a plunder case against former President Gloria Arroyo for supposedly using intelligence funds for the elections.

Also included in the complaint are former PCSO General Manager Rosario Uriarte, Assistant General Manager for Finance Benigno Aguas, and former PCSO Board Members Sergio Valencia, Manuel Morato, Raymon Roquero, and Maria Fatima Valdez.

Former Commission on Audit (COA) Chairman Reynaldo Villar and COA Region 5 head Nilda Plaras were also included in the complaint.

In an interview with ANC on Wednesday, PCSO Director Aleta Tolentino said the COA officials were included due to “conspiracy and connivance.”

Uriarte supposedly wrote Mrs. Arroyo eight times when she was still the president, asking her to withdraw money from the confidential funds.

Uriarte allegedly got nearly P310 million, more than half of which was withdrawn in the first six months of 2010, an election year.

In a previous hearing, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III noted this was even bigger than the intelligence fund of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) “and used only in six months’ time.”

During the hearing, documents shown did not bear registration stamps, but the words “OK” and what appeared to be the signature of Mrs. Arroyo. Uriarte confirmed those were indeed the signatures of Mrs. Arroyo.

Tolentino said they would be submitting additional evidence before the Office of the Ombudsman next week.

She said they had also asked the Ombudsman to consolidate their petition with other complaints filed previously by militant groups.