Amid reports tagging the husband of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the allegedly anomalous purchase of Philippine National Police (PNP) helicopters, a prominent law firm has denied reports that it will be representing Arroyo in the ongoing Senate investigation on the case.
In a statement released Wednesday, Villaraza Cruz Marcelo & Angangco Law Offices (CVC Law), also known as “The Firm" said that it “does not and will not represent former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo."
CVC Law was known to have had close ties with the Arroyo administration.
“Mike" Arroyo is currently represented by Atty. Inocencio Ferrer, who resigned from The Firm in 2002, the statement noted.
The law firm clarified that it has a policy of “declining any engagement to represent any party in cases before the Ombudsman" since 2002 when Simeon Marcelo was then the Ombudsman before returning to CVC Law as a senior partner.
“Consistent with this policy, we have declined requests for engagement to represent individuals who face charges before the Ombudsman.
“We have maintained this policy and intend to keep it," according to the law firm’s statement.
Immigration watch list
Thursday last week, PNP pilot Superintendent Claudio Gaspar Jr. said that two of the three helicopters that were allegedly forcibly sold to the PNP in 2009 were previously owned by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s family.
The supplier of the aircraft, Lion Air president Archibald Legaspi Po has since confirmed that the choppers that were sold as new in 2009 were owned by Mr. Arroyo.
Last month, however, Mr. Arroyo denied selling used choppers to the PNP.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima ordered a review of the Senate’s request to put the former first gentleman on the Immigration watch list while the legislative inquiry on the so-called “PNP choppers mess" is ongoing. — MRT/VS,
