Criminal raps to greet Rep. Gloria Arroyo

(Updated 6:13 p.m.) A criminal complaint will greet former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the day after she turned over the country's leadership to President Benigno Aquino III and took oath as Pampanga's second district representative. Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said that on July 1, Thursday — the first full day Arroyo becomes a citizen no longer immune from criminal suits — he will file the complaint before the Department of Justice, which is now headed by former Commission on Human Rights chair Leila de Lima. In a text message to GMANews.TV, Casiño said the complaint will be in connection with the 2007 allegedly graft-tainted national broadband network deal. Bayan Muna will charge Arroyo "mainly for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act," he said. Truth Commission De Lima, at a press briefing in Malacañang later in the afternoon, said under the law, the presidential immunity stops once he or she leaves the office. She said the DOJ will help the Truth Commission, the independent body Aquino formed to look into the corruption allegations against Arroyo, in fulfilling its mandate. De Lima added that the Truth Commission, headed by retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., will basically tackle the corruption issues and even human rights violation cases and other excesses of the previous government. "Ipa-finalize pa namin ang listahan (We have yet to finalize the list) that's why I cannot really give you the list yet," she said. ZTE mess In 2007, the Arroyo administration entered into an allegedly overpriced $329-million broadband deal with China's Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp. After allegations of corruption broke out that year, Arroyo aborted the deal. Arroyo and husband Jose Miguel Arroyo purportedly benefited from the deal, but they have since denied this. Last month, the Office of the Ombudsman charged for graft former Socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri and former Elections Commission chair Benjamin Abalos. The Ombudsman, however, cleared the Arroyos of involvement. The Sandiganbayan's fourth division is handling Abalos' graft case, while the anti-graft court's fifth division is handling Neri's. The two former officials have posted bail to evade arrest. Their arraignments are scheduled next month. - with Amita Legaspi/RJAB Jr/KBK, GMANews.TV