Mike Arroyo to testify before Senate on rigged bids.

This is from malaya (Manila)

Mike is the husband of president Gloria Arroyo. He seems to be constantly associated with shady deals as with these seemingly rigged road projects. It was the World Bank not the Philippine Govt. that exposed the shady deals of course!


Senate calls Mike A
If sick, panel will take his deposition on rigged bids
BY JP LOPEZ
SEN. Miriam Defensor Santiago will ask First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to appear Thursday to shed light on his inclusion in the World Bank report on the rigged bidding of road projects funded by the financial institution.
Santiago said that should Arroyo cite health concerns, "kami ang pupunta sa kanya. Puwedeng may abogado, may stenographer na galing sa Senado, tapos andiyan siya (Arroyo) at abogado niya. Ang mga kwestiyon ng Senado na gustong itanong sa kaniya, itatanong ng abogado ng Senado."
The First Gentleman had heart surgery April 2007.
He was one of the personalities named in the WB report blacklisting seven construction firms and individual on alleged "collusive practices" in the bidding of WB-funded road rehabilitation and management program.
The report cited the testimony of Tomato Suzuka, president and manager of Masaki Suzuka Corp., that the First Gentleman and then Sen. Robert Barbers allegedly employed "rough approach" in asking bribes. Barbers passed away Dec. 25, 2005.
The report quoted Suzuka: "Money would have to be paid as high as the president, senior government officials and politicians in order to do any further business in the country."
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who said he has a copy of the WB report, said Suzuka "learned that money was important to do business in the Philippines."
Lacson said although at least 10 persons have testified, only Suzuka and a Filipino contractor have implicated the First Gentleman.
Lacson asked the Senate to issue a subpoena duces tecum to the Ombudsman to secure a copy of the complete WB report.
He said the World Bank sent a copy of the report to the Department of Finance, which, in turn, sent it immediately to the Ombudsman for action.
Santiago said the WB report, which she claimed came from the financial institution, does not contain any derogatory information about the presidential spouse.
Santiago’s economic reforms committee is the lead investigator. The finance committee under Edgardo Angara and public works committee under Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. are the secondary committees.
Santiago said she would consult Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Revilla and Angara on her plan to get Mr. Arroyo’s deposition.
Also summoned in Thursday’s hearing are Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.
Teves and Gutierrez have been asked to produce the copy of the WB report.
Also invited were former congressmen Prospero Pichay and Jerome Paras, former DPWH Secretary Florante Soriquez, and DPWH officials Boy Belleza, Lope Adrian and Tito Miranda.
Santiago last week wrote WB country director Bert Hofman requesting for an original copy of the report. Hofman last Friday denied the request.
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel has formally requested WB president Robert B. Zoellick for the bank’s complete report on its investigation.
"Up to now, I have not received a response from the World Bank officials concerned. But I am hopeful that they will grant my request for copies of the WB report, together with supporting papers or attachments," he said.
Pimentel said senators will be facing a blank wall unless they have the Bank’s complete and final report.
"Without the WB report and its attachments, how can the senators pinpoint the personalities – the contractors, officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways, and fixers-brokers – who are involved in the alleged road scam?" he said.
The WB Sanctions Board has debarred EC De Luna, Cavite Ideal and CM Pancho construction companies after they were found to have allegedly engaged in collusive and other fraudulent practices in bidding for road projects financed by loans from the bank.
The complete report had supposedly been transmitted last month to the Office of the Ombudsman through the Department of Finance.
Pimentel said if he can obtain a copy of the report from the World Bank headquarters, there may be no need to subpoena the Ombudsman for the transmittal of the document to the Senate.
‘SENATE VERSUS ERMITA’
Malacañang is open to idea of allowing members of the Cabinet to attend the Senate inquiry on the alleged bid-rigging provided guidelines set by the Supreme Court are met, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said.
Remonde was referring to the Supreme Court ruling in Senate v. Ermita where the High Court upheld portions of Executive Order 464 and Memorandum Order 168 which states that any invitations to the Cabinet members and other ranking appointees of the President must be sent to Malacañang along with the possible questions to enable the invitee to prepare, the possible piece of legislation to be derived from the inquiry.
The ruling also upheld the invoking of executive privilege especially in matters concerning national interests and security among others.
The Senate committee on economic affairs has invited Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya and Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. for Thursday’s hearing.
Remonde said those behind the allegations on the First Gentleman’s involvement in the bid-rigging should come up with evidence that is admissible in court. "These (allegations) belong to the realm of nothing but political black propaganda," he said.
‘DYSFUNCTIONAL’
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said ferreting the truth in the involvement of First Gentleman is not the real hurdle the senators could face but rather making people accountable.
"The difficulty is not that of exposing him but proving his guilt before the proper forum. This is the catch: The country, by and large, has a dysfunctional justice system," the former CBCP president said.
Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez said he believes Malacañang will do everything in its power to prevent Mr. Arroyo from attending the probe.
"Kapag nadawit ang Unang Ginoo sa kontrobersiya ay tiyak na makakaladkad ang pangalan ng Pangulong Arroyo sa sinasabing suhulan na kinasasangkutan ng mga opisyal ng pamahalaan at ilang mambabatas," Iñiguez said.
"Kailangan talaga ng mas seryoso at malalimang imbestigasyon … Kilangang matukoy ang mga sangkot local man o pinopondohan ng mga dayuhang institusyon. Dapat ding kumilos ang mga mamamayan, bantayan ang mga kaganapan sa imbestigasyon ng Senado sa anumalya," the bishop stressed. – With Jocelyn Montemayor and Gerard Nava