Palace confirms Arroyo meet with ZTE execs in China in '06

(Updated 4:20 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang confirmed Wednesday that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo met with officials of China's ZTE Corp. during a side trip to China from Hong Kong in 2006. In a press briefing, Executive Sec. Eduardo Ermita said President Arroyo met with ZTE officials in Nov. 2, 2006 but said the meeting was merely a "social call." In a radio interview, Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo had earlier confirmed the meeting, although she insisted that it was not a secret, and should not be blown out of proportion. Fajardo said the meeting, where President Arroyo supposedly even played golf with ZTE officials, was "no different" from past meetings with potential foreign investors. Fajardo added that while the photo of President Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo appeared authentic, she said it was "nothing new." On the other hand, she said public attention should not be diverted to the ZTE mess but should remain "focused" on the issue of high power rates. Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico said a new witness is in possession of new evidence that would directly link President Arroyo to the $329.48-million ZTE deal. Citing statements made by the witness he identified only as "Alex," Suplico said President Arroyo visited ZTE offices in China along with the First Gentleman and then-Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos during a side trip from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, China on Nov. 2, 2006. Malacañang immediately downplayed the emergence of the new witness and his testimony. Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez even dared the new witness to file criminal charges against President Arroyo if he has sufficient evidence against her. However, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Alan Peter Cayetano said President Arroyo should bare all on her ZTE visit. "The president has not told us before in fact she has met with the ZTE officials," Cayetano said. In a separate radio interview, Golez branded Suplico's statements as "malicious" saying the President never engaged in secret meetings and was never involved in any anomalous transaction. "Ito po ay isang malisyosong statement dahil una po sa lahat ang ating pangulo ay hindi po siya nagkakaroon ng secret meetings at hindi po siya pumapayag sa anumang anomalya o pagpapagamit sa anumang maanumalyang transaction sa ating gobyerno (This is a malicious statement because first and foremost, the President never had secret meetings and she will not tolerate any anomalies or allow herself to be used in anomalous transactions in government)," Golez said. Golez maintained that President Arroyo's visits in China have been official in nature, and that even if the pictures supposedly taken by the new witness turn out to be an authentic copy, it does not prove any wrongdoing on the President's part. "Kung totoo man o hindi ang picture na yan, ay huwag naman sana nilang bigyan ng masama dahil wala namang pong masama kung naglalaro ng golf ang isang tao, kasama ang kanyang asawa. Wala ho kaming nakikitang masama sa pinakitang larawan (Whether these pictures are authentic or not, let us not attach bad meanings to them. There's nothing wrong is a person plays golf with a spouse. We don't see anything wrong in the pictures that were shown)," Golez said. - GMANews.TV