Arroyos plead not guilty to NBN-ZTE charges

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo pleaded not guilty to graft charges in connection with the cancelled $329 million national broadband network (NBN) deal between the Philippine government and China's ZTE Corp. in 2007.

Before the reading of the charges on the couple, Mrs. Arroyo manifested before the court that she was not supposed to attend the hearing because she has shingles.

The former president was wearing a neck brace when she arrived with her husband at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City.

Mrs. Arroyo was secured by at least 500 policemen from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, where she is currently detained, to the Sandiganbayan.

She is facing two graft cases and another charge for violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct of Ethical Standards for Public Official and Employees.

She had posted bail for the three charges: P30,000 each for the graft cases and P10,000 for the additional administrative charge.

Former Commission on Election Chairman Benjamin Abalos also entered pleas of not guilty to the same charges.

Abalos and Mrs. Arroyo are currently in detention for their alleged involvement in the rigging of the results of the senatorial elections in 2007.

The Sandiganbayan had issued warrants of arrest against the Arroyo couple, Abalos and former Communications and Transportation secretary Leandro Mendoza.

Mendoza, meanwhile, failed to attend the arraignment as he was still confined in hospital after suffering a mild stroke.

His lawyer, Alexander Poblador, asked that his arraignment be rescheduled to May 14, which was granted by Sandiganbayan Fourt Division Presiding Justice Gregory Ong.

The anti-graft court scheduled the pretrial of the case against the four former public officials on June 4.

The court said after the arraignment that it will excuse Mrs. Arroyo and Abalos in the next hearings as they are currently detained on electoral sabotage charges. -- with Michael Punongbayan