Mike A: I’m innocent

Speaking for the first time since he was implicated in a supposed scam involving the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo professed innocence yesterday of charges that he had diverted some P250 million in PCSO funds to bankroll the campaign of four administration senatorial candidates last May.

"I am innocent," Mr. Arroyo told radio station dzRH in what he said would be his first and last statement on the issue.

"Those allegations are not true and as you can see, even the PCSO has already stated that I am not involved. I have nothing to do with them and that all their advertising contracts are very regular and aboveboard," he said.

Mr. Arroyo made the statement four days after opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson accused him of ordering the diversion of some P250 million from the PCSO’s advertising budget to pay mediamen for a favorable coverage of then senatorial candidates Joker Arroyo, Roberto Pagdanganan, Ernesto Herrera and Juan Flavier.

Arroyo won a seat in the 24-member Senate while Flavier retained his. Pagdanganan and Herrera did not make it.

Apparently basing his privilege speech on a supposed affidavit of former PCSO media consultant Robert Rivero, Lacson also accused Mr. Arroyo of favoring two AM radio stations — RMN 558 and Bombo Radyo — with juicy advertising contracts worth P4.6 million and P16.9 million, respectively.

Mr. Arroyo said that after making inquiries with the PCSO, he learned that all advertising contracts were carefully studied by the agency and also approved by their resident auditor.

"Anybody can examine the documents and they can see that the contracts were for three months, four months, which means that they were all regular and not for the purposes of elections alone as they allege," Mr. Arroyo said.

"These are all very, very regular and Bombo and RMN have already issued their statements that there are no irregularities," he said.

After Lacson’s exposé, Rivero, a former RMN reporter, claimed PCSO director Resty de Quiros offered him a directorship in any government corporation of his choice in exchange for his silence.

He claimed Mr. Arroyo himself called him and pleaded with Rivero not to pursue the matter for the sake of their relationship. The First Gentleman was one of the principal sponsors of Rivero’s wedding.

Mr. Arroyo, however, denied the claim, saying he does not know of any attempt to silence or bribe Rivero.

"I did not call him. I did not send anybody to see him. I don’t know anything about it. I don’t meddle in those things," the First Gentleman said.

Rivero claimed De Quiros, also a former radio reporter, offered his wife, Jane, a seat in the PCSO board, P5 million and an all-expense paid trip abroad. Jane Rivero is Lacson’s media officer.

When he refused, Rivero claimed he received another call, this time from his estranged friend Press Undersecretary Roberto Capco, who supposedly promised to have all his pending court cases dropped.

Rivero said he was angered over Capco’s alleged offer because no criminal charges have been filed against him.

But the PCSO said it would file charges against Rivero this week after several complainants charged that Rivero demanded a commission from them so that the PCSO would facilitate the release of their checks.

After Lacson’s speech, opposition senators demanded an investigation to be conducted by the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, revision of laws and codes and electoral reforms, chaired by opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara.

Administration Sen. Loren Legarda, chairman of the committee on rules, said she had no objections to Angara’s committee handling the investigation although Senator Arroyo described the move as "anomalous" since Angara would be their "accuser and judge" at the same time.

Legarda explained the opposition senators’ resolution seeking a probe into the matter was referred to Angara’s committee because it would cover election funding.

Aside from Arroyo, majority Senators Robert Barbers, Francis Pangilinan and Ralph Recto also questioned why Angara’s committee would investigate the alleged scam when it was all about government officials’ reported graft and corruption practices.

But Legarda said the senators should raise their objections on the floor and manifest their desire to transfer the probe to the committee on accountability of public officers and investigations, or Blue Ribbon.

"They should rise and question it on the floor," Legarda averred.

However, Senator Arroyo is chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee and Barbers said this problem could be remedied by asking Arroyo to inhibit himself.

Barbers disclosed he would raise the issue during the majority senators’ caucus today to support Arroyo’s contention that it was improper for Angara to lead the investigation because he was the "handler" of Rivero.

Angara admitted Rivero sought their help and Arroyo said Angara staff member attorney Demaree Raval was the one who drafted the privilege speech read by Sen. Panfilo Lacson based on the revelations of Rivero.

But Angara and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. assured the First Gentleman that he would be given a fair, non-partisan and fully transparent inquiry.