Lacson to present witness vs Iggy Arroyo in PNP choppers mess

Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said he will present next week a witness into the National Police choppers controversy who will prove that Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy" Arroyo was lying when he defended his brother First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo. "Mag-tetestify lang siya na sinungaling si Iggy Arroyo, that's all. That's all I can say as of now," Lacson told reporters in an interview. The Senate blue ribbon committee will conduct another hearing on Monday on the sale of pre-owned choppers as brand new to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2009. Lacson said he is still convincing the witness to appear during the hearing but that he is already in possession of the witness' affidavit. He refused, however, to provide any clues regarding the identity of the witness. But a staff member of Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III confirmed that Atty. Lope Velasco, who notarized the alleged lease agreement between Lionair and LTA, Inc, has been invited to the hearing. Iggy Arroyo earlier said his brother did not own the Robinson helicopters sold as new to the PNP since they were only leased from Lionair Inc.— the company owned by Archibald Po, who had linked the former First Gentleman to the scandal. The lawmaker said Po “concealed" the fact that Lionair executed a contract of lease with the Arroyo-owned company, LTA Inc., in March 2004. But Lacson said that the lease documents presented by Iggy Arroyo allegedly contained "several contradictions." Invitation Earlier in the day, the Senate blue ribbon committee had invited Iggy Arroyo to Monday's hearing. "Remember he to took it upon himself to get involved in this issue so dapat lang siguro mag-appear siya para sagutin niya naman yung mga rebuttal sa ginawa niya," said Lacson. "Lahat kami nagcha-challenge kaya nga inissuehan siya ng invitation consensus yun ng blue ribbon, tsina-challenge siya na pangatawanan ang kanyang mga sinabi," he added. But Lacson admitted that they cannot issue a subpoena against Iggy Arroyo should he choose not to attend next week's inquiry. "That's as far as we can go, di kami pwede mag-issue ng subpoena, magdedefer kami sa inter-parliamentary courtesy," he said. But Lacson warned Iggy Arroyo that he should not use a supposed illness to excuse himself from the hearing. "Di naman porke na may medical certificate abswelto na mag-appear," he said. — RSJ, GMA News