‘GMA to be dragged into Mike A inquiry’

President Arroyo will inevitably be dragged in the Senate inquiry on the corruption and money laundering charges opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson has leveled against her husband, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said yesterday.

"The charges against First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo are, inferentially, charges against the President," Pimentel said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.

He said Mrs. Arroyo cannot be forced to appear before the Senate or any investigating body, "but like her husband, she has a lot of explaining to do."

Pimentel cited the specific case of the Arroyo couple’s Lualhati Foundation which, according to Lacson and his former principal witness Eugenio Mahusay Jr., received tens of millions in donations from friends and business associates of the Arroyos.

He said when the Senate inquires into the specifics of the donations, Mrs. Arroyo may have to explain from whom and why her foundation received the money.

He said it is important for the President to tell the public the sources and purposes of such contributions since some funds may have come from illegal sources or given in exchange for some favors, contracts or protection.

Another opposition senator, Teresa Aquino Oreta, said the controversy surrounding the First Gentleman "will drag on and on to an extent that Mrs. Arroyo would become so embarrassed and ineffective that she would have no other choice but to resign."

"I think it would lead to that. She will have to resign and transfer the job of running the nation to Vice President Tito (Teofisto) Guingona, who will have to ensure that we hold honest and orderly elections for a new president next year," she said.

She added that Lacson’s Incredible Hulk – Chapter 1 privilege speech last Aug. 18 "was just the tip of the iceberg."

For her part, Majority Leader Loren Legarda said the Senate, "in the interest of truth and justice, should get to the bottom of the allegations raised by ... Mahusay against (Mr.) Arroyo even if Senator Lacson’s star witness retracts them."

"Very serious accusations have been aired, including allegations that were purportedly supported by documentary evidence. Thus, the Senate probe on the matter should not grind to a halt just because of a possible retraction by Mr. Mahusay of his sworn statement," Legarda said.

She said she and her colleagues should scrutinize the detailed allegations in Mahusay’s affidavit and verify these with other witnesses or documents.

She urged Lacson’s former witness to speak up, "otherwise, the impression, correctly or otherwise, that someone is muzzling him would continue."

The Senate will begin on Tuesday its inquiry into the charges against Mr. Arroyo.

In his Incredible Hulk exposé, Lacson said the President’s husband allegedly laundered funds delivered to him by friends, business associates and government officials among the bank accounts of Lualhati Foundation, Jose Pidal, Victoria Toh, who is Mr. Arroyo’s personal secretary, her brother Thomas, and her brother-in-law Kelvin Tan.

He claimed that Jose Pidal is actually a false name used by Mr. Arroyo.

He said most of the funds were kept in the UnionBank branch along Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, not far from the Arroyos’ LTA Building, which he described as a money machine and a place where shady deals are cooked and demolition jobs against enemies of the administration hatched.

Pidal also had an account in BPI-Family Bank (main branch), while Tan kept an account in International Exchange Bank (Perea branch).

Based on copies of bank statements, Lacson said Pidal, the Tohs and Tan have the same business address as the President’s husband: 8th floor, LTA Building.

Lacson’s charges against Mr. Arroyo were based principally on the sworn statement executed by Mahusay last July 21 before notary public Julie Ann Dumlao.

In his affidavit, Mahusay, a godson and former personal messenger of Mr. Arroyo, claimed he saw his ninong signed checks as Jose Pidal before he would send him to UnionBank to encash such checks.

He said he deposited in and withdrew millions from those accounts.

He indicated that Mr. Arroyo and Vicky Toh are more than friends.

He said he served the two with red wine in his ninong’s LTA office until 10 p.m. whenever Mrs. Arroyo was away on provincial trips.

Mr. Arroyo also told him to buy red roses for his secretary on Valentine’s Day, he added.