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Gloria Arroyo pleads not guilty in NBN-ZTE case
(Updated 10:40 a.m.) Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to graft charges filed against her in connection with the botched national broadband network (NBN) project entered into by the government with Chinese firm ZTE Corp. during her presidency.
Mrs. Arroyo, who is currently detained in Quezon City for separate poll sabotage raps, faced the fourth division of the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court for her arraignment in relation to the graft charges. During the arraignment, Mrs. Arroyo’s lawyer Jose Flaminiano told the anti-graft court that her client is waiving her right to be read the charges against her, but the judges went on with the proceeding anyway.
The former President was transported to the Sandiganbayan building along Commonwealth Avenue from her detention facility at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center at 8 a.m. amid heavy security.
Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson, said 500 cops from the Quezon City Police District were deployed to the area for Mrs. Arroyo’s arraignment.
Mrs. Arroyo, who is suffering from bone mineral disorder, wore a neck brace and elastic therapeutic tape on her leg during the court proceedings.
The former President, who also currently sits as Pampanga representative, also told reporters in the courtroom before her arraignment that she is currently suffering from shingles, or a viral infection that causes a painful rash.
Aside from the graft charges, Mrs. Arroyo also pleaded not guilty to her alleged violation of the provision on Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials).
This provision concerns illegal “solicitation or acceptance of gifts” after the former President allegedly played golf and had lunch with executives of the Chinese firm while the deal was being negotiated.
Flaminiano said her client was “very firm” about entering a not guilty plea to the graft charges.
“Very firm talaga siya sa pagsasabi na ‘not guilty.’ She knows that in the end, she will be vindicated by the court,” the lawyer told reporters after the arraignment.
The court set the pre-trial conference for Mrs. Arroyo’s case on June 4, he added. Mike Arroyo, Abalos too
The charges were filed late last year by the Office of the Ombudsman for Mrs. Arroyo’s alleged hand in the approval of the NBN-ZTE contract, despite being “fully aware” of the irregularities in the deal.
The controversy with the NBN-ZTE deal involves allegations of corruption in the awarding of a $329-million construction contract to ZTE Corp. for the proposed government-managed nationwide broadband network during Mrs. Arroyo’s term. (See full timeline here.)
The contract with ZTE was signed on April 20, 2007 in Hainan, China.
After accusations of irregularities surfaced, Mrs. Arroyo cancelled the National Broadband Network (NBN) project in October 2007. 
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo attends the NBN-ZTE arraignment on April 11, 2012 with Kinesio tape on her leg, part of her therapy. Tina Panganiban Perez
Among the high-profile personalities also linked to the supposed anomaly were former Elections chief Benjamin Abalos Sr., who resigned at the height of the controversy; then-National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief Romulo Neri; former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo; and former Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza. Both Jose Miguel Arroyo and Abalos on Wednesday also pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mendoza's arraignment was postponed to May 14 since he is still recovering from a mild stroke he had recently.
Last month, Mrs. Arroyo also pleaded not guilty to poll sabotage charges filed against her by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) before a Pasay court for allegedly ordering the rigging of the 2007 polls.
Aside from these charges, the Department of Justice has also recommended the filing of malversation raps against Mrs. Arroyo and three others for allegedly misusing millions of funds intended for overseas workers. –KG/RSJ, GMA News
