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The Office of the Ombudsman gave President Gloria
Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, 21 days to
explain his alleged part in a corruption scandal now heaping
pressure on his wife to resign.
Mr. Arroyo sat stone-faced as he
faced allegations that he used his influence to help Chinese state
firm ZTE Corp. win its bid for the aborted $330-million national
broadband deal.
Speaking to journalists after the
public hearing on Tuesday, the President’s husband, a lawyer,
brushed aside the accusations, saying, “They are fabricated. They
are all hearsay.”
He was given until March 25 to
formally answer the allegations. His comment will form part of the
special prosecutor’s decision on whether to file criminal charges
against him.
A political ally of the First
Couple, former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr.,
was accused of seeking $130 million in kickbacks for himself and Mr.
Arroyo from the national broadband deal.
The President canceled the
contract after the scandal broke out and ordered a formal inquiry.
The scandal has hurt Mrs.
Arroyo’s standing, with opposition groups mounting growing street
protests calling for her to quit.
In a speech before government
employees on Tuesday, Mrs. Arroyo criticized the opposition for
using the broadband issue to advance their political ambitions.
“The law of the land is above
politics and popularity,” she said. “That is why we uphold the
principle of due process in investigating and adjudicating criminal
allegations against any citizen whatever the political cost,” the
President added.
--AFP
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