Palace exec to Mike Arroyo camp: What persecution?

Malacañang refuted Saturday the claim of former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo’s camp that the Aquino administration is persecuting him by continuing to investigate him for poll fraud in 2007, even after an initial fact-finding found no proof against him. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also chided Arroyo’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio for arrogating to himself the right of a prosecutor in demanding the charges against his client be dismissed now. “That is a judgment not to be made by the lawyer of one of those involved. That is a judgment to be made by the courts trying the case so premature pa po yan (so his claim is premature)," Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. Besides, Valte said this was merely the initial result of the joint fact-finding by the Department of Justice and Commission on Elections, and its investigation is not yet over. “At this point they are still looking at other pieces of evidence and other testimonies," she said. Earlier, Topacio accused the administration of “persecution of the worst kind" in continuing to investigate his client for possible links to election fraud in 2007. He referred to a recommendation by the fact-finding team to conduct a further probe on Arroyo despite the absence of evidence against him. Topacio claimed the Aquino administration wants an “indefinite investigation" against his client even if it means having to “fabricate evidence." The fact-finding panel, composed of justice and elections officials, had recommended charges of electoral sabotage against former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo and 46 others over supposed election fraud in 2007. — LBG, GMA News