Senate seeks copy of Arroyo radio interview

The Senate will ask a radio station for a copy of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's interview where she said she was told about alleged irregularities on the $329.48-million broadband deal with China's ZTE Corp. on the eve of its signing on April 21 last year. On Tuesday, Senate Trade committee chairman Manuel Roxas II asked the Senate Blue Ribbon committee under Alan Peter Cayetano to ask dzRH radio for a taped copy of President Arroyo's interview. Cayetano agreed, saying the Senate will also ask radio dzMM for a copy of an interview with Trade Secretary Peter Favila on the matter. Mrs Arroyo had told dzRH radio last Saturday that she was told something was wrong in the deal, but that it was too late to back out at the time because it may embarrass the Chinese government. "Nasumbong sa akin the night before the signing of the supply contract pero di pa naman kasi ... This is only one of many signings, so e papaano mo maka-cancel the night before (Someone told me the night before the signing. But this was one of many signings so how can we cancel it the night before)," she said. Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye, in an interview on dzBB radio Tuesday, insisted that Mrs Arroyo never said the deal was flawed, and that the government tried to explain to China why the deal should be canceled. Bunye also said the Palace tried to "clear" the matter with media Sunday, the day after Mrs Arroyo gave an interview on dzRH radio, but the "explanation" was not played up. "Di niya binanggit yan sa interview ... Ang point dito, yung actual interview ni President Arroyo sinasabi she admitted the deal itself is defective (She never admitted, the point is, in the interview that the deal was defective)," Bunye said. Bunye also said the President found it "too late not to participate" in the signing of the contract on April 21 last year. He also said it took five months before the deal was canceled because Favila had to "backchannel with his counterpart in China." At first, he said Chinese officials could not understand the backchanneling, he said. "After so many explanations nang magkaharap na sila ng top official ng China, noon lang medyo malambot ang loob ng Chinese government kaya sila pumayag na we do not go ahead with the deal (After so many explanations, that was when Chinese officials gave in and agreed that we not go ahead with the deal)," he said. - GMANews.TV