Presidential Deputy Spokesman Anthony Golez yesterday said accusations of anomalies in the National Broadband Network deal and now on a Philippine government agreement with China on the Spratlys are mere allegations that are not backed by evidence.

“The opposition is going on a fishing expedition in a dead lake. They do not have any evidence that can stand in court,” said Golez, who was in Bacolod City to speak before The Rotary Club of Bacolod East and Rotary Club of Bacolod Marapara.

The President is duly elected by the people and has a mandate to finish her term in 2010, she will not resign, he also stressed, amid numerous protests calling for her resignation.

“If she steps down then that is tantamount to dereliction of her sworn duty to serve the people and the president will not do that,” said Golez, who has roots in Negros Occidental.

The Constitution states that the president can resign but not through coercion, that is unconstitutional, he said.

Those hurling charges of corruption should provide solid evidence that can stand in court so that everybody will know at the end of the day who is telling the truth, Golez said.

The NBN-ZTE deal is not graft-ridden contrary to the accusations hurled against the government, he said.

The reason why the price in the NBN-ZTE deal went up was because the original proposal was for it to just cover 30 percent of the country, and it was increased to 100 percent contrary to claims that the hike was to go to payoffs, Golez said.

But the Senate investigation did not dwell on that, he said, stressing that “We should listen to all sides before condemning.”

“The people should be more discerning by looking at the total picture based on evidence,” he said, because anybody can just make claims.

“There will always be truth on the side of the accuser, truth on the side of the accused and the only way we can finally find the real truth is when these allegations go through the legal process, “ he said.

SENATE BIASES

Some senators conducting the inquiry on the NBN-ZTE, even before submitting their committee report, have already showed their biases, he said.

Meanwhile, the majority of the local officials throughout the country, who are the representatives of the people, continue to support the president, he said.

“Let’s go for healing. Every time the country is divided on certain issues, the country suffers, particularly the poor,” he said.

That is why the President, inspite of what is happening, remains focused on her job of ensuring that services are delivered to the people, Golez said.

In spite of what has been happening there has also been an upsurge in the stockmarket and there is still a very strong peso, he said.

“I just hope that the people can start tearing down the walls that divide us and move forward,” he said.

Let us not allow political opportunists to reverse the country’s growth, he said.

SPRATLYS

Malacañang yesterday stressed that the agreement on Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking on the contested Spratly Islands is consistent with the Philippine Constitution and the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties on the South China Sea, contrary to allegations from the opposition.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said the agreement on JMSU “manifests responsible diplomacy to ease tension and promote confidence building” in the disputed islands.

Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo challenged former Senate President Franklin Drilon to test the validity of the signed agreement in a proper venue, like the Supreme Court, and not in the media through press releases or partisan hearings in Congress.

“Topnotch lawyers like former Justice Secretary Drilon know how to test the validity of any agreement. Not by citing hearsay evidence, but by raising the matter in the Supreme Court,” Saludo said in response to Drilon’s claim that Arroyo committed a serious violation of the Constitution after she approved the signing of the DOC in September 2004.

“Does the opposition resort to press statements and partisan hearings because of its fear of the impartial process?” Saludo asked.*CPG

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