Miriam dares Jamby to prove GMA pal’s ties to Monte Oro

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago challenged Sen. Jamby Madrigal yesterday to prove her allegations that businessman Enrique Razon, who is reputed to be close to President Arroyo, is behind the consortium that bagged the 25-year concession to operate the country’s power grids.

“That is for her to prove. As far as we could gather from yesterday’s JCPC hearing, there is no documented evidence of her charges,” Santiago said. JCPC stands for joint congressional power commission.

“She makes these accusations, but in court you need evidence, and it could either be testimonial or documentary,” Santiago said. She co-chairs JCPC with presidential son Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo.

Santiago said there is no documentary evidence to link Razon to the Monte Oro consortium, which bagged the transmission contract for $3.95 billion. It was the biggest privatization ever launched by the government. Razon is chief executive officer of the International Container and Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI).

“You have to have a witness who has first hand knowledge that there is a subversion of the Anti-Dummy Law because in effect the charge is that there is no Razon name in any of the papers involved and he is acting through somebody else,” Santiago said.

Santiago added that an accuser has to present either a witness who has first hand knowledge of the matter or documentary evidence.

“There is an accusation but even from the fact-finding point of view, there is no probable cause. There has to be more than mere verbal accusation,” she said, adding that the JCPC would be ready to look into Madrigal’s charges once the latter presents evidence.

Madrigal alleged that Razon cornered the concession for the National Transmission Corp. or TransCo because of his alleged connections with President Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

Madrigal also pointed out that Mrs. Arroyo’s brother Diosdado “Buboy” Macapagal Jr. is also part of the Monte Oro consortium.