BY JP LOPEZ

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.

Sen. Mar Roxas Tuesday night proposed to Leo San Miguel, Lacson's witness, that he take a polygraph test after his testimony clashed with that of Rodolfo Lozada Jr., businessman Joey de Venecia and engineer Dante Madriaga.

The three have mentioned President Arroyo and her husband Mike as being directly or indirectly involved in the anomalous broadband deal.

When it was San Miguel's turn to testify Tuesday, he did not link the First Couple, saying his role in the broadband project was purely on the technical side.

Lozada and Madriaga said they are willing to take the test, although De Venecia was mum.

Lozada has said "commissions," "kickbacks," "bukol" were discussed during his meetings with San Miguel.

He said San Miguel was always "within hearing distance" during those meetings.

Marcelino Agana IV, legal counsel of the presidential legislative liaison office, admitted talking to San Miguel before and in between breaks of the hearing Tuesday but said it was "as a friend" and not as a representative of Malacañang.

He said he has known San Miguel since 1995 and was a lawyer for San Miguel's cable company since late 1999.

He said he learned that San Miguel was the "surprise witness" of Lacson only after the cable executive informed him about it in a phone conversation Monday night.

Agana said he also talked to San Miguel during the Senate lunch break but denied he spoke with anyone from Malacañang.

GIRL FRIDAY

Lacson has said it was Remedios Poblador, presidential assistance for special projects, who was at the phone with Agana during a break at Tuesday's hearing.

An ABC 5 cameraman was able to take footage of Agana's cellular phone which showed the number of Poblador logged in the dialed call.

Agana admitted he called up Poblador to inform her on how the public accepted San Miguel's testimony in the Senate.

"Sino ba si Medy Poblador? Girl Friday (of the President). siya lang yung nakakasakay sa kotse ni Mrs. Arroyo among other high officials," Lacson said.

"So pagdudugtungin ko na, kung merong kausap si Leo (San Miguel) na 'yes ma'am, ide-deny ko po ma'am,' eh si Medy Poblador eh tinawagan naman ni Atty. Agana ng ganung oras din. Hindi malayong isipin na rin natin na binigay ni Atty. Agana kay Leo yung kanyang cellphone, ibinigay naman ni Medy yung kanyang cellphone kay Gng. Arroyo," Lacson said.

LET THE TRUTH COME OUT

Sr. Mary John Mananzan, co-chair of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines, appealed to the person who talked to San Miguel not to interfere in the search for truth.

"Don't obstruct the truth. Let it come out because that is what the people need, that is what the people want," she said.

Mananzan appealed to San Miguel to redeem himself. "Once he tells the truth, although he may be accused of being pabago-bago ng isip at baka hindi na paniwalaan ng tao, he will be able to redeem himself kahit konti, kahit papano."

She said it is not necessary for San Miguel to corroborate the statements of Lozada to be acceptable as telling the truth.

"Lozada is not the barometer. At least he (San Miguel) should be able to corroborate (Dante) Madriaga, who was working under him then," she said. - With Gerard Naval