Mikey: Spare my father

REP. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo yesterday appealed to administration critics to spare his father Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, who he said "has been having a spate of high blood pressure probably because of anxiety."

The Pampanga congressman, in an interview in Malacañang, said the "anxiety" could be related to allegations by witnesses in the Senate's ZTE inquiry linking his father to irregularities.

"If they think they have anything on my father, let's go to the Ombudsman because there, the allegations will be governed by the rules of evidence and not on theatrics," he said.

Juris Soliman, the presidential spouse's chief of staff, said she has no personal knowledge of Mr. Arroyo experiencing high blood pressure.

She said that Mr. Arroyo was recently at St. Luke's Medical Center for regular rehabilitation treatment.

The First Gentleman is getting therapy twice a week at St. Luke's since his heart surgery in April 2007.

Soliman also denied that Mr. Arroyo was rushed to the hospital due to his "serious" condition.

She said the First Gentleman was at the LTA building in Makati City last Wednesday to check on the scheduled activities of the First Gentleman Foundation. "He's okay," she said.

Rep. Arroyo lamented the allegations of former ZTE consultant Dante Madriaga Tuesday in the Senate that the First Couple were part of a group of "greedy" people that benefited from the ZTE deal.

He said Madriaga's testimony against the First Couple is part of destabilization efforts against the government.

Donald Dee, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries, recommended that Madriaga be subjected to a credibility or psychological check.

"Mahirap iyung nagtututuro tapos sasabihin iyan lang ang alam ko, iyan ang sinabi sa akin. Hindi man lang inisip na nakakasira siya ng reputasyon at ginugulo niya ang buong lipunan," he said.

FIRST COUPLE'S AGENTS

Madriaga told the technical working group of the Blue Ribbon committee that Michael Defensor, a former presidential chief of staff, was one of the agents of the First Couple who saw to it that their "commission would be protected."

"He (Defensor) said he was there representing the interests of the First Couple," Madriaga said.

The technical working group is checking Madriaga's background and cross-checking his testimony.

Madriaga recalled that Defensor was with them at a June 2006 meeting in Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong.

He said Defensor dropped out from the negotiations in October 2007.

Madriaga said aside from Defensor, Ruben Reyes also represented the interest of the First Couple. Reyes is close to presidential brother Diosdado "Buboy" Macapagal Jr.

He said the presidential spouse made his presence felt on the project after he learned from Leo San Miguel that $1 million in advances were made possible after Mike Arroyo vowed to help in facilitating the project.

San Miguel, according to Madriaga, recruited him as consultant to ZTE officials.

Madriaga said Jimmy Paz was there to help guard Abalos' commission.

Retired Gen. Quirino "Torch" dela Torre, a former military comptroller, was brought in by Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes when he was then interior and local government secretary to help in fund sourcing and lobbying.

BLOATED BY $140M

Madriaga said the NBN contract was bloated by $140 million and would be divided between the "greedy group plus plus" and the Chinese contractors.

He said this greedy group involved Abalos, San Miguel, Paz and Dela Torre.

Madriaga said the $70 million will go to the group of Abalos and the other half represented the supposed commission of the Chinese ZTE group.

"Tig-$70 million sila dun sa patong na $140 million," Madriaga said.

He said Abalos was to act as the "trustee" of the $70 million, which he would distribute among his group and the First Couple.

He said the $140 million padding in the NBN-ZTE contract was outside the supposed $41 million advances by the Abalos group from ZTE Corp.

He said for every advance made, half went to the First Couple.

Senate President Manuel Villar said Madriaga would be provided a safe place at the Senate.

Villar also instructed the Senate tri-committee probing the ZTE deal and the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to make security arrangements for Madriaga and his family. - BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR with Dennis Gadil