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By Angelo S. Samonte, Reporter
Malacañang said it feels vindicated when Sen.
Alan Peter Cayetano initially said his committee report found no
basis that directly links President Gloria Arroyo to the
controversial national broadband deal.
“The truth is, given the reason and all
interviews by the Senate, there is no evidence that links the
President to the deal,” Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.
“We feel vindicated, definitely the national leadership.”
“The Senate committee report should be
released because everyone is anxious to hear the so-called
whistleblower speaking all along linking the Office of the President
[to the broadband controversy]. If it is released, the whole world
will see that the President has nothing to do with it.”
Ermita said they hope the Senate would be fair
in making the report public, considering that there is a pending
motion for reconsideration at the Supreme Court in connection to the
petition of former Socio-economic planning Secretary Romulo Neri to
invoke executive priviledge.
Although the President could be off the hook,
Cayetano hinted charges could be filed against government officials
who participated in the alleged anomalies surrounding the broadband
deal.
“Well, they [senators] are free to do whatever
they wish but there
should be fairness. Let’s see the report. And
if there are high
officials involved, they should be charged at
the Ombudsman if there is probable cause,” Ermita said.
On Wednesday, opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson
warned the
Senate committees probing the broadband deal
that coming out with a report this early may be ill-advised.
Lacson said it is too early to come up with a
committee report as there are still many developments that should be
explored, and that concluding the probe will send wrong signals that
the Senate “rewards” defiant witnesses.
Instead he advised Cayetano, the Blue Ribbon
Committee chairman, to be more aggressive in going after
“available” witnesses.
Justice department continues probe
The Department of Justice will retrace the route
where broadband star-witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr. passed following his
arrival from Hongkong.
The ocular inspection, scheduled on May 14, will
be made by the Justice department task force handling the kidnapping
charges filed by Lozada against several government key officials.
The task force head, Emilie Fe de los Santos,
said Wednesday that they will check everything, starting from the
time Lozada came out of the plane to the place where he claimed he
was abducted.
Lozada arrived from Hongkong last Feb. 5 after a
few days stay there, claiming his trip there was a ploy to prevent
him from testifying before the Senate on the broadband deal.
Lozada filed kidnapping charges against
Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, National Police Chief Director
General Avelino Razon Jr. and Manila International Airport Authority
deputy for security Angel Atutubo, among others.
The accused officials denied that Lozada was
abducted, saying that his movement was never restrained nor was he
prevented from contacting his family.
-- With William B. Depasupil
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