JOSE Miguel Arroyo yesterday denied ever receiving a phone call from former Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. concerning the national broadband network as alleged by Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.

"Mr. Lozada himself admits he is unsure if it was me Chairman Abalos called, if that phone call took place to begin with. And, further, Mr. Lozada admits he did not hear the conversation," Arroyo said in a statement.

He said he was forced to break his self-imposed silence because of "distorted" news reports saying he was responsible for the overpriced $329-million broadband project which was eventually scrapped.

"I reiterate that I do not meddle in government affairs, be they political or commercial. I deliberately avoid the limelight, and I have suffered all the unfair accusations against me precisely to buttress this policy. I do not interfere with governance. Also, being an ordinary lawyer, I am hardly versed in the technical terms and procedures of international finance. Again I don’t have anything to do with the NBN deal," Arroyo said.

Arroyo also denied ever having dinner with Lozada or Jose de Venecia III who had a competing proposal.

"I never had dinner with Mr. Lozada and or Joey De Venecia, at the Shangri-La Hotel, or anywhere else. Even if I did, we would certainly not have discussed the NBN deal," he said.

He said Lozada and De Venecia’s testimonies were conflicting.

"Note that on this point, even Mr. Lozada repeatedly claims that I joined him for dinner although I ‘did not say much’. Joey de Venecia on the other hand claims I was in another function room for a separate cocktail party and that I was not at that dinner. These two supposedly close associates are not even consistent with each other. In fact, at the Senate hearing, Mr. Lozada said that I was at another function, maybe to coincide with Joey de Venecia’s statement," he said.

"So much has been said about Mr. Lozada being a hapless victim in all this. But in many people’s desire to vilify me, they conveniently overlook the fact that, by his admission, Mr. Lozada tried to work out a deal that would satisfy De Venecia and Amsterdam Holdings. By his own admission, Mr. Lozada tolerated Joey de Venecia’s corruption. It amazes me that there are people who glorify Joey de Venecia who admits he failed in that attempt, while they vilify me, and subject me to dishonor and disgrace, on mere speculations," he said.

Arroyo’s legal counsel Ruy Alberto Rondain said it is hard to prove if it was Arroyo himself Abalos was calling that time.

While refusing to say that Abalos merely dropped the name of Arroyo, Rondain said nobody would know if the former Comelec chief indeed called up the President’s spouse.

"Is that (Lozada’s testimony) damaging? It’s not. Those are all speculations. There’s nothing new in what he said," Rondain said.

"He (Arroyo) is just a little bit bothered. Hindi na niya pino-problema ‘yun, sasakit lang ulo niya at tataas lang blood pressure niya," Rondain said.