Palace seen blocking
Spratly Deal probe
House panel scraps first hearing
BY WENDELL VIGILIA
THE House committee on foreign
affairs Wednesday night cancelled its initial hearing on
the controversial joint marine seismic undertaking among
the Philippines, China and Vietnam in the Spratly
islands due to a technicality.
Committee chair Antonio Cuenco (Lakas,
Cebu) said the cancellation was because panel members
were not informed of the investigation three days
beforehand, as mandated by the rules.
Cuenco announced the cancellation
before Congress adjourned for its Lenten recess
Wednesday.
Former Cabinet men say
Gloria
is center of corruption, cover-up
BY ASHZEL HACHERO
FORMER Cabinet members from the Marcos
to the current administrations yesterday called on members
of the Arroyo Cabinet to re-think whether they still want
to serve the President, who they said is at the center of
corruption and cover-up of the $329-million broadband deal
with China's ZTE Corp.
In a press conference at the Club
Filipino in Greenhills, the group, which now calls itself
Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO), said they have
lost their trust and confidence in Arroyo's capability to
govern and to stamp out graft and corruption. But they
stopped short of asking her to resign.
"We question not only her moral
authority to govern, but also her ability to govern given
the mounting garbage of lies and obfuscation that she is
constrained to build to cover up the increasing stench of
corruption in her administration," said the group's
statement read by former Civil Service Commission chair
Karina David.
OPPOSITION Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday
accepted the challenge of Malacañang that he take a lie detector
test provided President Arroyo also takes it.
Malacañang had dared the senator to undergo a
test to find out who's telling the truth.
"Kung totoo yung kanyang sinasabi o hindi, eh
magsama-sama na kami, si Presidente Arroyo, Mike Arroyo, ako,
tapos yung mga testigo. Okay yon basta sama-sama kami," he said.
