Malacañang open to call for probe of last-minute appointments

Insisting it has nothing to hide, Malacañang said it is open to a looming Senate inquiry into President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's last-minute appointees. Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said the Palace is ready to defend its appointment of the officials, who he said are qualified. "The Palace is confident any one of them can be defended in the Senate or public opinion (or) wherever (forum the senator) chooses to bring it," he said on government-run dzRB radio. He was reacting to reports that Sen. Francis Pangilinan has called for an investigation on "midnight" appointees by President Arroyo. Both houses of Congress resume session in the later part of May. "Di naman tumatakbo si Sen. Pangilinan. O sige, he is welcome to launch that investigation at the opening of the next session (Pangilinan is not running for elections, so he is welcome to launch that investigation at the opening of the next session of Congress)," Olivar said. — LBG, GMANews.TV