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Miriam vows to block moves to drag Mike Arroyo anew into WB road mess


MANILA, Philippines - Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Monday vowed to prevent the Senate from once again dragging First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo into the alleged irregularities in the bidding for World Bank-funded projects. Santiago said she would go to the Supreme Court if necessary and file a petition for prohibition with a prayer for temporary restraining order if her colleagues would insist on “trying" Mr Arroyo on the allegations stated in the report of the World Bank. She said the inquiry conducted by the Committee on Economic Affairs, which she heads, has found no evidence linking the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the alleged rigging of bids. “Since the World Bank does not even want to share any information with us, there is no scintilla of evidence, as the lawyers love to say, on which to base any adverse statement against the First Gentleman," she said. Santiago said those who disagree with her committee’s findings could file the same resolution and have it assigned to another committee, but she said this would be considered forum-shopping. “At that point, I’m going to put my foot down. I’m going to the Supreme Court and say you can’t do this. In the first place, the legislative committee of the Senate is not the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] or an office of the fiscal, we are not supposed to be conducting preliminary investigation of criminal cases," she said. The senator said other Senate committees could hold another investigation but on another aspect of the issue and with the process examined carefully. “If it simply results in placing the First Gentleman on the dock again, I will resent it as a lawyer," Santiago said. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV
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