Alleged World Bank witness' statement 'complete fabrication' - FG lawyer

The lawyer of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo branded yesterday as “a complete fabrication” the report that his client had tried to solicit a bribe from a Japanese contractor in connection with the aborted $33-million World Bank (WB) road project in the Philippines.

Ruy Rondain said Mr. Arroyo was disappointed over the repeated attempts to drag his name into all kinds of controversies.

abs-cbnnews.com/Newsbreak reported that Mr. Arroyo and an unnamed former senator had met with the unidentified Japanese contractor and told the latter that in order to engage in business in the country, bribes are necessary.

A WB investigator reportedly interviewed the Japanese contractor as part of the investigation into reported collusion between seven Filipino and Chinese construction firms to bag WB projects.

“It’s (report) a complete fabrication,” Rondain told The STAR in a telephone interview. “The meeting never happened.”

He said it was possible that the Japanese contractor was a fake and could have misled the writer.

“It’s unfortunate that people so readily believe stories without a modicum of credible evidence. It’s so easy to accuse and malign reputations,” he said.

He said the story recalled an incident during the Senate hearing into the alleged collusion to bag the WB road project where Sen. Panfilo Lacson presented an appointment diary purportedly owned by Mr. Arroyo.

He said the First Gentleman never had an appointment diary and the handwriting in the book was not his.

Rondain said he was able to speak with Mr. Arroyo over the telephone but there were no instructions for him to undertake legal action against those who were maligning him.

“All we have here are anonymous sources that tell stories, so how are we supposed to act?” he said.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the Palace was awaiting the conclusions of the investigations conducted in the House of Representatives and the Senate into the controversy.

He said the Palace is also awaiting the recommendation of the Office of the Ombudsman on the alleged involvement of public officials in the reported collusion.

Remonde said Mr. Arroyo “can very well defend himself” on the controversy.

He earlier said the Arroyo administration will not tolerate any corrupt official and would take the appropriate legal action against them if evidence warrants.

The WB earlier announced that it has barred permanently from undertaking any WB-funded projects the E.C. de Luna Construction Corp. and its owner Eduardo de Luna. The move was the strongest possible sanction imposed by the WB.

The firm had earlier been linked to Mr. Arroyo by some opposition lawmakers.

Barred for four years from doing business with the WB are the Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp. and CM Pancho Construction, Inc.