Arroyo spokesman questions integrity of Bedol, Zaldy

The camp of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo claimed Sunday a powerful hand may be behind two personalities linking her to poll fraud in 2004 and 2007. Arroyo’s legal spokesman Raul Lambino said the "revelations" of suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and former elections supervisor Lintang Bedol may be part of “mind conditioning." “Ano ang integrity at character ng dalawang ito? Maliwanag na gusto nilang maisalba ang kanilang sarili mula sa mabigat na kaso," Lambino, a defeated senatorial candidate who ran under Arroyo’s party in 2010, said in an interview on dzBB radio. (What is the character and integrity of these two people? They are trying to save their own skin.) Lambino also said what is being done now is mind-conditioning so prosecutors and decision-makers cannot act objectively because the public has accepted the propaganda against Arroyo. According to him, Ampatuan and Bedol’s claims were made through unsigned affidavits that are accessible to media, and that Bedol was even reportedly transported in a private plane. While the Commission on Elections already had an arrest order for Bedol, it had failed to locate him to serve the order, Lambino said. He also maintained Bedol’s claims were hearsay. “Sino ang nagprepara ng mga affidavit na yan? May malakas na pwersang puwedeng gumawa nito," he said. Lambino also cited reports quoting Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo as saying Bedol may surface on Monday. “Ibig sabihin alam ni Robredo (This shows Robredo may know more than he’s letting on)," he said. Arroyo arrived in the country Saturday after a trip to Europe, but refused to talk to media about the charges against her. She faces charges involving alleged graft in the use of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds, even as Bedol and Ampatuan linked her to alleged poll fraud in 2004 and 2007. Justice, not vendetta Lambino echoed the call of Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas to the Aquino administration to go after past wrongdoings for justice and not for political vendetta. According to Lambino, the administration should not go after its foes via “trial by publicity" or “impeachment by publicity." “Ang ginawa ng Palasyo (What the Palace is doing is a), well-funded well-organized well-orchestrated publicity against the former president," he said. But Malacañang belied Lambino's allegations. "It's a massive over-fertile imagination which indubitably shows signs of fear and trepidation of the former President," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a text message to GMA News Online last Friday. He also said Lambino should "study the allegations first before mouthing baseless accusations." Arroyo to attend SONA Despite the supposed mind-conditioning against her, Lambino said Mrs. Arroyo will likely attend President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25. Lambino noted Arroyo has so far had a perfect attendance at the House of Representatives. “Ang pagkakaalam ko dumadalo siya sa lahat na session ng Mababang Kapulungan. Sigurado ako na dadalo siya sa SONA sa July 25," he said. Last June, Arroyo’s spokesperson Elena Bautista-Horn said Arroyo was not able to attend Aquino’s first SONA last year because she accompanied her husband Jose Miguel to Hong Kong for medical treatment at the time. In his first SONA, Aquino bared several alleged abuses of the Arroyo administration, including excessive allowances in some government-owned and controlled corporations. But last June, Arroyo fired her first salvo at Aquino, questioning his leadership and chiding him for not building on the economic gains of her administration. Her criticisms triggered a tweet exchange between her ally, Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, and deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte. — LBG, GMA News