(UPDATE) Arroyo dared to ‘explain picture’
‘Hearsay’ from ‘3rd class’ new witness --Gonzalez
By Tetch Torres, Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:06:00 05/14/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- “Explain the picture. Explain the allegation,” Senator Alan Peter Cayetano told President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday.
Cayetano, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee investigating the national broadband network (NBN) scandal, made the statement a day after a new witness surfaced in the media with a picture of the President and her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, supposedly playing golf in Shenzhen, China.
After the golf game, the President allegedly proceeded to the headquarters of the ZTE Corp., and met with its officials to discuss the NBN project.
The meeting allegedly took place five months before the signing of the NBN contract with ZTE, which was later scrapped by the President over bribery allegations.
But Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez dismissed the witness who revealed details of the alleged meeting as “third class” and said even if the meeting did take place, said there was nothing wrong with it.
“She [Arroyo] should explain the pictures. She should explain the allegation,” Cayetano said over the phone.
The senator said Malacañang was only deceiving the people by saying that the witness should just bring the issue before the court.
“The President can’t be sued in court. They are deceiving the people. Pag dinala yan sa [If they bring that to the] Ombudsman, sasabihin hindi pwedeng sampahan ng criminal case ang Presidente [they will say that a criminal case can’t be filed against the President],” he said.
But Cayetano said the President could simply answer the allegations even before the media.
“There’s a difference between proving someone liable and asking someone to be accountable. The first one is simply answering the questions and being forthright with your constituents,” he said.
Cayetano said his committee would now resume its investigation into the NBN scandal.
“Nakausap ko na si [I’ve talked to] Rolex. We will have a hearing. The date will be announced in the future,” he said, referring to Iloilo Vice Governor Rolez Suplico, who is now handling the new witness.
In the meantime, Cayetano said he would just leave it to the people to determine whether the new witness’ expose would be enough to prove the President’s direct involvement on the NBN controversy.
“Personally I give him [witness] the benefit of the doubt. Nakikita kong sincere, may alam talaga [he really knows something],” he said.
But Gonzalez said the revelation of the witness was “really hearsay. He was not present in the meetings between the Chinese and the President and those allegedly involved in the deal, he just saw them in the golf course."
"Just because they saw them in the golf course, is that enough to draw a conclusion?" Gonzalez asked.
Gonzalez said there was nothing wrong with Arroyo’s visiting the ZTE office in China.
"She was invited to a function. I don't think there is anything wrong with that," Gonzalez added.
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