First Gentleman Mike Arroyo yesterday lashed back at his critics, asserting that the world bank has admitted not having proof against him. his meantime lawyer said that the international funding agency has not even accused the president’s husband of any wrongdoing.

In a press conference just a few steps away from Mr. arroyo’s personal office at the LTA building in Makati, his laywer ruy rondain read a statement mr arroyo wrote in reaction to the world bank road projects controversy.

His lawyer, ruy rondain said mr arroyo himself wanted to read the statement but his doctors advised him that it might be bad for his health as he is stressed out by criticisms and scandals.

rondain hinted, mr arroyo’s non-combative mood—may just change. “ a man can only take so much.”

In the statement, mr arroyo called for an end to trial by publicity, saying the lies and unfounded accusations made against him were only used to prop up politicians’ presidential ambitions.

Mr arroyo denied being part of a a cartel of contractors colluding to corner plum government contracts.

Mr arroyo reiterated that the world bank has admitted they have no direct evidence against him. Mr arroyo’s lawyer says pointblank, that the world bank has not accused the first gentleman of any wrongdoing.

Mr arroyo also dismissed plans for another senate inquiry into the scandal as forum shopping, and appeals to the senate to safeguard the rights of private citizens.

During the ensuing question and answer, rondain said that mr arroyo has no plans of filing charges against his critics, for the same reasons he dropped earlier libel charges against critics in the media.

Rondain also appealed to the public to give the ombudsman a chance, despite mr arroyo’s closeness to merceditas guttierez. rOndain says guttierez has already committed that she will spare no one.

Rondain also said that FG has been an easy target for political gimmickry because people are just so willing to believe the worst about him.

Rondain also wondered how senator panfilo lacson got copies of the wb report he leaked and talks about—since the WB has said that its reports are internal and confidential.

HERE IS THE STATEMENT:

Enough of trial by publicity.

My detractors persist in spreading lies and unfounded accusations. This only shows their desperation for media mileage to prop up their obviously hopeless presidential or political ambitions.

For the record:

there is a baseless accusation published in a newspaper daily today that i am a member of a cartel. this is garbage. i have never been part of a cartel. that newspaper daily alludes to the still unseen world bank report to justify its conclusion. this is also garbage. from what i have read, the world bank continues to deny that there is any direct evidence linking me to this scandal.

If the published excerpts from the report accurate, then there is less reason to indict me publicly. Those quoted excerpts are unequivocal that the alleged witnesses against me merely believe I am involved. This is worse than hearsay! Feelings are never evidence; they are never admissible. Obviously, there is no direct evidence of that involvement because there is no such involvement.

Even the supposed statement of one mr suzuka to the effect that he met with the salet senator barbers and myself has been belied by no less than his representative, trix lim. Under oath and publicly testifying in person at the senate. Even mr suzuka was quoted by mr aries rufo as admitting that he never witnesses an exchange of money.

Yesterday I read a report in a major daily that mr willy castor, president of the national constructors association of the philippines has disclosed that mr suzuka is not a real contractor but a mere hardware store owner in japan. Mr castor emphasized that since suzuka always loses biddings because of falsified documents; he was merely sour graping. He has no credibility because even his peers don’t believe him.

Today I read that the world bank yesterday refused to authenticate the notice of sanctions. That validates what I have always maintained: that unless there is competent evidence against me, these accusations stem from nothing more than speculation and conjecture. Even the PCIJ, with whom I am presently tangling in court, was fortright enough to support this position—that the report contains layers of rumors innuendoes and facts. (Phil Star, feb 12, 2009)

The world bank in any case forewarns that the investigation from which it sprang was strictly administrative in nature, to determine if its internal rules was violated. The bank again was careful enough to point out that the investigation was not intended to be an inquiry into criminal activities in this country. Thus it ahs a disclaimer that it should not be used as a basis to initiate any civil, criminal or administrative investigation in this jurisdiction.

Finally I have read that another senate committee will conduct its own investigation because some senators are not satisfied with the way senator Santiago conducted hers, this is shocking to me as a lawyer because it smells too much of forum shopping if a lawyer like myself had done something similar, i.e., go to court because I did not like how another court ruled against me, I would face stiff sanctions by the supreme court. Still I continue to recognize the supreme authority of the senate within the chamber’s walls. I will respect whatever decision of its committees might take. I only request that the constitutional rights of citizens like myself be safeguarded in the process.

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