Amid new allegations linking her to graft and poll fraud, former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo arrived in the country Saturday morning from an "extended" trip to Europe.
But Arroyo, who arrived with husband Jose Miguel at 8:49 a.m., kept mum on the issues against her and declined to talk to media.
The former president arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on a KLM flight from Amsterdam, radio dzBB's Mao dela Cruz reported.
Her security aides kept media away from her as she proceeded to an elevator to a waiting convoy of sport-utility vehicles and sedans, including a Mercedes Benz and a BMW, the report said.
It added Arroyo appeared tired from her trip.
Earlier this week, militant lawmakers filed graft and plunder charges against Arroyo for her alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds while she was president.
Charged along with Arroyo was former PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte, who admitted requesting P325 million in intelligence funds for the PCSO from 2008 to 2010.
But Arroyo's legal spokesman, defeated senatorial candidate Raul Lambino, dismissed the accusations against Arroyo as part of a “massive, well-funded campaign" by Malacañang.
He similarly questioned the claims made by suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Zaldy Ampatuan and former provincial election supervisor Lintang Bedol linking Arroyo to poll fraud in 2007.
“Ito ay hearsay. Hindi ito dapat paniwalaan dahil hakahaka, rumor ito... massive well-funded campaign kasi yan... yan ang gusto nilang gawin. Ang ganito kalawak na media campaign ay orchestrated yan... ng napalakas na tao o grupo," he said in an interview on dwIZ radio Friday.
Moreover, he said the group behind this massive demolition job needs billions of pesos to do such a campaign.
“Hindi lang daang milyon ang kailangan kundi bilyong piso para banggain ang institution tulad ng simbahan at paglagay nito araw-araw sa radio, TV at headline ng mga dyaryo. Walang ibang makagagawa niyan... Malacañang ang pwede gumawa ng ganyang kampanya," he added.
On Friday, Malacañang dismissed the allegation as a product of an "over-fertile imagination."
"It's a massive over-fertile imagination which indubitably shows signs of fear and trepidation of the former President," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a text message to GMA News Online.
He also said Lambino should "study the allegations first before mouthing off baseless accusations." "Nabenta na yan," he added. — LBG
