THE Gabriela Women’s Party in Hong Kong (GWP-HK)
group on Sunday distributed "WANTED" posters to compel Jose
Miguel "Mike" Arroyo to return to the Philippines and face
corruption charges over the $329-million NBN-ZTE broadband deal.
The group distributed the posters at an
interfaith rally held by OFW groups along Chater Road.
"However he may try to hide, protests will
hound Mike Arroyo until he is made accountable for his crimes,"
said GWP-HK chair Cynthia Abdon-Tellez.
Abdon-Tellez said OFWs are "not amused" that
President Arroyo’s husband went to Hong Kong "to dodge protests
and the Senate investigation."
Going to Hong Kong "reeks of guilt," she
said.
The First Gentleman flew to Hong Kong Friday
purportedly for acupuncture treatment. He was due to attend the
Ombudsman’s ZTE inquiry Tuesday.
ZTE whistleblower Jose "Joey" de Venecia III
has accused the presidential spouse of bullying him to back off
from the broadband project.
Senate ZTE witness Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada has
testified that the First Gentleman is the "political patron" of
Benjamin Abalos Sr. who has "brokered" the broadband deal for
ZTE Corp.
Abdon-Tellez said OFWs believe that Mr.
Arroyo is his wife’s top "commissioner" if all the scandals and
corruption charges leveled against the first couple since 2001
are taken into account.
OFWs around the world vowed to hold
demonstrations to coincide with the massive interfaith rally on
February 29 in Makati.
Rita Baua, Bayan international officer and the secretariat
office of Migrante International, in separate statements said
they will hold protests this week in Ottawa, Toronto and
Montreal; Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York; Sydney; and
in Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait, Dubai, Jordan, Bahrain and Doha. –
Anthony Ian Cruz