BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR

A DAY after admitting that the $329 million national broadband deal with China’s ZTE Corp was flawed, President Arroyo yesterday vowed to spare no one involved in the irregularities that attended the deal.

"Tamaan ang tatamaan. Walang nangingibabaw sa batas," she said in a message for the 22nd anniversary of the Edsa People Power 1.

Arroyo reiterated her administration’s commitment to fight corruption.

She said her administration is against red tape which is why she increased the budget of the Ombudsman to strengthen its anti-graft and corruption campaign.

Aside from the Senate inquiry on the broadband deal, fact-finding panels from the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice are also looking into the culpability of government officials and private citizens on the alleged payoffs on the deal.

The NBN deal was signed on April 22, 2007 by Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza and ZTE Corp. president Yu Yong.

Arroyo, leaving the sickbed of her husband, even flew to Hainan to witness the signing of the NBN and Cyber Education supply contracts.

Arroyo canceled the deal on Sept. 22, 2007 amid allegations of payoffs to government officials.

But the President informed Chinese President Hu Jintao of her decision only on Oct. 2, 2007.

Arroyo said her government is also working with the House of Representatives under Speaker Prospero Nograles to draw up an Anti-Corruption Reform law which aims to impose stiffer penalties.

The President said that it is sad that as she continues to work and focus on governance, allegations of corruption have surfaced, not even backed up by evidence.

She said she alone decides on the policies, not those who are not in power, obviously referring to her immediate family.

She stressed no member of her family is engaged or involved in any government transactions or dealing.

The Senate’s ZTE witness Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada testified that the President’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, is the political patron of former Elections chair Benjamin Abalos who supposedly lobbied for the award of the broadband project to ZTE Corp.

The President said if her administration were really corrupt, then it should not have been able to achieve the highest growth rate of 7.3 percent in the last 31 years.