Opposition behind Marcelo’s attacks — Palace

Malacañang accused the political opposition yesterday of unleashing businessman Pacifico Marcelo as a loose cannon against the Arroyo administration.

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao cited as proof an affidavit executed by Marcelo claiming that President Arroyo demanded majority shares in exchange for the enactment of a franchise bill for his proposed Philippine Communications Clearinghouse Inc. (PCCI).

Tiglao pointed out that Marcelo’s sworn statement was prepared by the ACCRA Law Office closely identified with opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara, one of its founding partners.

Tiglao also denounced an impeachment move by the opposition against Mrs. Arroyo even as he expressed confidence it would not gain ground for lack of support and moral issue, unlike that of ousted President Joseph Estrada.

"They have no basis this time. You cannot engineer people power. You can’t engineer impeachment without any real basis," Tiglao told reporters.

Addressing a convention of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines at the Manila Midtown Hotel, Mrs. Arroyo appealed to the political opposition for a one-year moratorium on politicking.

Senate President Franklin Drilon also hit back at the opposition for questioning his order to deny Marcelo protective custody of the chamber.

"Mr. Marcelo cannot use the Senate to evade the service orders and other processes of a government agency. The Senate is not a protection agency," Drilon said.

He said he allowed Marcelo to remain in the Senate premises while session was going on, but directed the sergeant-at-arms to get him out of the chamber premises afterwards.

"I told Mr. Marcelo that he is free to leave at any time while the Senate was in session. But after the session, he had to leave. We cannot allow the Senate to be used as a dormitory," Drilon said.

The Senate opposition had wanted to place Marcelo under the protective custody of the chamber after Immigration agents tried to apprehend him for questioning regarding his American citizenship.

Marcelo went to the Senate to present his affidavit to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee regarding his vetoed franchise bill.

Drilon argued that the Senate cannot place Marcelo under its protective custody because the witness has not yet appeared before the Blue Ribbon Committee.

"If there was indeed a danger, real or imagined, to the person of Mr. Marcelo, the proper thing to do was for him and his lawyers to seek appropriate protection from the police," Drilon said.

Meanwhile, opposition Rep. Didagen Dilangalen of Maguindanao said he was mulling the filing of an impeachment case against Mrs. Arroyo if there is solid evidence that she asked for majority shares in PCCI.

On the other hand, the Bureau of Immigration revealed that Marcelo traveled in and out of the country 60 times over the past years, using his American passport. — With Efren Danao, Jess Diaz, Rey Arquiza