GMA willing to face congressional probe

President Arroyo is willing to face any congressional inquiry into the telecommunications franchise involving her husband even as she again asked the opposition not to make political capital of the issue.

This developed as First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo said he will cut short his trip to the United States by four days and will arrive on Aug. 2, instead of Aug. 6, in time for their wedding anniversary.

"She (the President) welcomes any congressional inquiry into the allegations. At this time though, there is no such investigation ongoing, much less a request by any congressional committee for the President to testify,"

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said in a statement.

"Even as the Constitution provides for checks to prevent the Chief Executive from being harassed by members of a co-equal branch of government, the President will deal with such a congressional request when the time comes that such is actually made," he said.

He denied Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr.’s suspicion that Mrs. Arroyo asked Ombudsman Aniano Desierto to investigate the P50-million bribery scandal to convince senators not to conduct their own probe.

He said Mrs. Arroyo has already emphasized her commitment "to get to the bottom of the bribery allegations" by asking the Ombudsman, an independent constitutional body, to investigate the charges.

"She is appealing to the opposition though not to make this issue a political circus to harass the Presidency and to grandstand on a flimsy soap box of baseless allegations," Tiglao said.

"The President is confident that any investigation will conclude that the First Gentleman absolutely had not been involved in any bribery case," he said.

He brushed aside observations that the President’s party mates and allies in the Senate appear not to be defending her in the controversy as he also denied that Press Secretary Noel Cabrera has been discouraging reporters from asking Mrs. Arroyo questions regarding her husband.

"I’m sure they will (defend her) right now because they are not in a grandstanding mood and no charges have been filed at all. They’ll be making a mountain out of a molehill if there are no charges," Tiglao said.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay (Lakas-NUCD) also cautioned the opposition against exploiting the controversy for political gains.

Pichay said speculation the President may be called to testify before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee "is highly premature, considering that Senator Pimentel himself admits there is still not enough evidence to warrant an investigation in the first place."

"Political emotions are running high at the moment. Let us be sober and objective in our statements, for anything less would be doing a disservice to our people," said Pichay.

He added that Mrs. Arroyo herself was highly interested in finding out the real score behind the controversy.

"The President has been very open and transparent in addressing these rumors, and we share her belief that these are mere black propaganda," he said.

"Perhaps we should let the investigations proceed unhindered, rather than engaging in speculation designed to condition the minds of the public," Pichay added.

Meanwhile, Arroyo is expected to cut short his trip to the US where he is being treated for bronchitis.

"GMA has asked me to return," he said. "So I am returning and I will surprise her because we are celebrating our wedding anniversary on Aug. 2. I am returning by Aug. 2 instead of the 6th."

Arroyo left for the US on July 24 to undergo medical treatment and take a much needed vacation. Critics, however, said the First Gentleman left to cool off from the bribery controversy sparked by accusations by former Malacañang correspondence secretary Veronica "Bing" Rodrigo.

Rodrigo had accused Arroyo of accepting a bribe to persuade the President to reverse her veto of the bill seeking a congressional franchise of telecommunications firms Philippine Communications Clearinghouse (PCCI) and APC Wireless Interface Network (APC).

But the two companies yesterday denied bribing anyone to reverse the presidential veto.

"(PCCI and APC) did not pay any money to or bribe any person in or outside government, in seeking a reconsideration of President Arroyo’s decision to veto our franchise applications," the two firms said in a joint statement.

"As far as PCCI and APC are concerned, all business transactions were above board and we did not break any international or local law in pursuing our respective franchises, considering that several international companies had indicated interest in funding the venture," Ronnete Franco, a lawyer for PCCI, said.