Joker won’t call GMA in telecom probe

The chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee rejected yesterday suggestions from the opposition that President Arroyo be summoned to rebut the claims of a businessman who accused her of demanding majority control of his two telecom firms.

Sen. Joker Arroyo, chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee which is hearing Pacifico Marcelo III’s charges, said forcing the President to testify would violate the principle of separation of powers.

For her part, Mrs. Arroyo twitted Sen. Edgardo Angara for pressing her to appear before the Senate ostensibly to clear her name, saying Marcelo had already rebutted himself with his own testimony.

Meanwhile, administration Sen. Robert Barbers dismissed as "pure hearsay" the claim of businessman Jonathan Ojano, supposedly an associate of Marcelo, that the opposition had raised a P200-million "destabilization fund" and offered P80 million to persuade Marcelo to accuse Mrs. Arroyo of corruption.

Marcelo himself described Ojano and another former associate, Romulo Retirado, as "dogs of war" that Malacañang has unleashed to harass him.

"Mr. Jonathan Ojano and Mr. Bing Retirado are two loyal political allies of GMA, having served her when she was yet senator and having led in her campaign for vice president," Marcelo said in a statement.

But the President dismissed Marcelo’s remark and said her actions as well as the testimonies of several witnesses and Marcelo himself are enough to rebut his accusations without her having to appear before the Senate.

"I’ll rebut him here. Besides, all other witnesses are rebutting him," Mrs. Arroyo told reporters in an ambush interview at the Manila Hotel during the National Socio-Economic Summit.

"So why should I surrender the independence of the executive (branch) from Congress? The executive never investigates a member of Congress because we respect their independence," she pointed out.

She noted that the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC), which probes corruption charges against officials of the executive branch, does not investigate charges against senators or congressmen.

Senator Arroyo, chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, agreed with the President.

"Everybody knows that the Senate cannot call on the President to testify in the Senate, a co-equal body, unless she volunteers. We cannot even invite former Speaker Sonny Belmonte or former Congressman (Eleandro) Madrona to testify," Arroyo said.

Both Belmonte and Madrona were listed among the resource persons to be called by the committee but the two said the Senate could not call them under the doctrine of separation of powers.

Belmonte is now Quezon City mayor while Madrona is governor of Romblon.

Arroyo even quoted Madrona as saying he is not inclined to appear before the Senate and would only appear if it were the House of Representatives asking him to testify.

Marcelo pal refutes charges

Instead of Belmonte and Madrona, the Blue Ribbon Committee heard the testimony of Retirado, a vice president in one of the firms owned by Marcelo.

He refuted Marcelo’s claim that he was summoned to Malacañang and testified that it was Marcelo who asked for a meeting with the President.

Retirado testified that Marcelo asked him to arrange the meeting and that he accomplished the order by asking a certain Jazmin Taquebao to make the arrangements with former presidential appointments secretary Marita Jimenez-Magpili.

Magpili told The STAR she is ready to appear before the Blue Ribbon to corroborate Retirado’s testimony.

She said Marcelo went to her office sometime in June to ask for a meeting with the President.

"He even had a padrino (godfather) with him, (a certain) Cris Carreon," Magpili said. "He was even thankful to me for having arranged the meeting."

After Marcelo met with the President on Aug. 17 at Malacañang, Retirado said Marcelo met with him and Ojano to discuss the meeting but Marcelo never mentioned the President’s alleged demand for majority control of his two telecom firms.

"Jonathan asked him about what happened and Marcelo said the meeting was cordial... He never mentioned anything about her seeking majority control of PCCI," he said.

He also recalled that Marcelo even spoke favorably of the President, describing her as "very presidential, straightforward, really American-bred, medyo mataray nga lang (but a little high-strung)."

But in a press statement, Marcelo dismissed the claims of Retirado and Ojano as part of campaign to harass him.

He said he only met Retirado and Ojano "during the last national (senatorial) elections, as the duo actively campaigned for the administration senatorial candidates. And they approached me for assistance."

"That they are twisting the facts is no surprise to me. Left out in the distribution of spoils after GMA took control of Malacañang, they would want to be better remembered by their patroness. By their heroics cum lies, what would come next?" Marcelo said.

But Barbers and administration Sen. Renato Cayetano said the testimonies of Ojano and Retirado, both former associates, further eroded his credibility.

"Marcelo is definitely lying," Barbers said.

However, Barbers also expressed doubt on Ojano’s claim that there was a P200-million destabilization fund and that Angara had offered P80 million to Marcelo.

"I know Senator Angara very well and his integrity is beyond reproach. Then why did you include him in your affidavit, which I believe doesn’t have basis," Barbers told Ojano.

Ojano said Marcelo told him of (Angara’s) supposed offer of P80 million and he reported the alleged bribery attempt to Retirado and a supposed "presidential assistant," Manuel Andal.

Ojano also admitted that he had no personal knowledge of the alleged P200 million fund to finance destabilization moves against the Arroyo administration, adding the information came from one Dante Madriaga. – With Marichu Villanueva