MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo met with one of the owners of the three construction firms that had been blacklisted by the World Bank for alleged corruption in government road projects.

E.C. De Luna Corp., Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp., and C.M. Pancho Construction Inc. had been blacklisted and penalized by the World Bank, along with four other Chinese firms.

Eduardo de Luna of the E.C. De Luna Construction Corp. told the Senate committees on economic affairs and public works and highways on Tuesday that he met the First Gentleman at least “three times.”

De Luna was responding to a query by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson who asked him how long he knew the First Gentleman and how well he knew him.

Lacson then read before the committee Mr. Arroyo’s personal appointment book and enumerated the dates, time, and location where De Luna had supposedly met with Mr. Arroyo.

The senator said the two met 20 times in 2002.

At this point, De Luna said he could not exactly remember how many times he met the First Gentleman but insisted that he was not close to the Mr. Arroyo.

Lacson did not say, however, how the First Gentleman was linked to the issue.

On Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s questioning, De Luna reiterated that he had not made any dealings with the First Gentleman.

“I have no dealings with the First Gentleman,” he told the investigating body.

But De Luna admitted that one of his meetings took place in the First Gentleman’s office in Makati City.

In that meeting, De Luna said he simply said “Hi” to Mr. Arroyo and then waited outside the office.

“Naghintay lang sa labas. Nag hi lang po tapos naghintay na sa labas [I just waited outside. We just said ‘Hi’ and then I waited outside],” he said.

Meanwhile, Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said the three firms could still engage in other government projects for as long as they were qualified.

“In other projects, your honor but not with the World Bank,” he said. “If they qualify, if they so qualify, then they can be involved with other projects.”

At the start of the hearing, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago asked Ebdane if he was able to find out who in the department might be in “collusion” with these firms and the official answered in the negative.

Defensor, head of the economic affairs committee, criticized Ebdane for not doing his work.

Before ending the hearing, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, chairman of the committee on economic affairs, demanded the resignation of the Ombdusman, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, and Ebdane for not acting on the report by World Bank.