Biking priest unimpressed with Saludo's defense of Arroyo on corruption charges

MANILA, Philippines - Almost one month after Palace guards prevented him and drove him away from personally delivering an open letter to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, biking priest Amado Picardal on Tuesday evening finally secured an audience with Malacañang which sent an outgoing Cabinet official to meet with the priest. In an entry on his web log, Picradal said Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo gave him the Palace side on the $329.48-million ZTE broadband deal and the "Hello Garci" controversy during their meeting. Picardal, however, admitted he was not satisfied with Malacañang's explanation. "Mr. Saludo is a decent man. Of course, it was expected that he would defend the president especially against the accusations against her. Yet, I was not fully satisfied with his explanations," Picardal, who last Sunday completed a 56-day, 5,000-km nationwide bike tour for peace, said. Picardal said that while he was eating during the meeting, Saludo explained Arroyo's side based on a document he prepared entitled "Briefing Materials on National Issues." He said the charges of overpricing and bribery in the ZTE controversy were "unproven" and that witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. was "not abducted but protected." "(Saludo) insisted that the rule of law and due process of should be observed in the investigation of the NBN-ZTE controversy," Picardal said. As for the Garci case, Saludo there is no evidence that Arroyo ordered Garcillano, then a poll officer, to cheat in the 2004 election. "The only evidence are the tapes which are illegal and inadmissible in any court of law. No case has even been filed against Garcillano," he quoted Saludo as saying. "In brief, the accusation of corruption and cheating in the election are unproven. There is no hard evidence that would link the president to these scandals or controversies. Therefore, the perception that the president is corrupt and power-hungry is without any basis," he recalled Saludo saying. But Picardal noted Saludo did not discuss the appeals he made in his letter regarding the resumption of the peace negotiations, investigation of extra-judicial killings, and the protection of the environment, including a total log ban and repealing the mining act. When he asked Saludo him what the Arroyo government is doing about the peace talks, he said the National Democratic Front had set preconditions "which give the impression that it is nor really interested in the peace process." Saludo also said most of those in the list of the so-called victims of extra-judicial killings are "fictitious." As for his concerns on the environment, Saludo said the government would like to promote "responsible mining." "Although it is true that there are no hard evidence that would link her to corruption and rigging the election, what cannot be denied is that under her administration, the culture of violence, death and corruption persist," Picardal said. "Her government has pursued an all-out war policy against the NDF/NPA which it hopes to defeat in two years. The extra-judicial killings and forced disappearances continue. The destruction of the environment by logging and mining continue. Corruption continues to affect all levels of society," Picardal remarked. On the other hand, he said Saludo had a point when he said it is not enough to just denounce Arroyo for perceived evils, and that there must be evidence. He also acknowledged Saludo's argument that the Church must engage in dialogue to search for ways to address concerns that affect the nation. "Mr. Saludo is right when he says that it is not enough to just denounce the government for perceived evils. We must present hard evidence rather than just dwell on generalities. At the same time, we must learn to engage in dialogue to search for ways to address the problems and concerns that affect our nation. This is a role that the Church must seriously pursue," Picardal said. The priest said Saludo, who will cede his post to former Justice secretary Silvestre Bello III in a recent Cabinet revamp, explained Malacañang's side to him for more than two hours during a dinner meeting Tuesday at a Japanese restaurant at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. With them was Fr. Frank Pidgeon. According to Picardal, Saludo had asked Pidgeon, an Australian Redemptorist who happens to be his friend, to set the meeting with him. After over two hours, Picradal said Saludo brought them back to Baclaran. He said that while he was not satisfied with Saludo's explanations, he was thankful for the meeting. "I was grateful that a Cabinet secretary of the President went out of his way to meet me and explain the president's side," Picardal said. Last April, Malacañang guards shooed away Picardal when he tried to deliver an open letter to President Arroyo. Policemen and firefighters blocked his path while a presidential guard instead took his letter and "promised" to hand it to the President. - GMANews.TV