Palace dares witness: So sue Arroyo in court

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang on Wednesday dared the new witness in the $329.48-million ZTE broadband deal mess to lodge criminal charges against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo if he has evidence against her. Radio dzBB's Aileen Intia reported that Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Rolando Golez Jr said the court, and not media, is the proper venue to air such claims. Golez said it is the court that will weigh the evidence, adding Mrs Arroyo will "not allow illegal activities" under her watch. Earlier, Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico described the witness, whom he called "Alex," as a government employee who was with the First Couple and then poll chairman Benjamin Abalos when they made a side trip to China from Hong Kong in November 2006. Suplico said the employee inadvertently took a photos of the side trip, where the first couple supposedly visited the ZTE office in China. Meanwhile, the Senate said that with the emergence of a new witness in the $329.48-million ZTE broadband deal mess, it may resume as early as next week its investigation into the matter. Radio dzBB's Nimfa Ravelo reported that Senate Blue Ribbon committee chairman Alan Peter Cayetano said he has yet to talk to the witness. Cayetano said that when he said some weeks back his committee may issue an interim report, he remained open to new witnesses or evidence that may trigger the reopening of the case. Besides, he said the interim report was more of a progress report and does not mean the case will be closed. In February, revelations by witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr spawned calls for Mrs Arroyo's resignation. Lozada had linked First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and Abalos to the allegedly anomalous deal. Mr Arroyo and Abalos have both denied the allegations. - GMANews.TV