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Palace: GMA has right to remain silent By Aytch S. de la Cruz 10/30/2010

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Palace: GMA has right to remain silent

By Aytch S. de la Cruz 10/30/2010

Stressing the importance of keeping one’s faith with the court’s rules of procedures, Malacanang yesterday said there is nothing with the recent ruling of the Sandiganbayan forcing former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to appear before the court to testify.

In a phone interview with reporters, deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte echoed the statement of Sandiganbayan justices granting the petition of Arroyo’s counsel, Estelito Mendoza, that explained why his client should not be compelled by the anti-graft court to testify against her former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri who is currently being tried for graft charges owing to his involvement in the anomalous national broadband network (NBN) controversy.

“That ruling was made on the basis of the fact that Congresswoman Arroyo is also one of those charged in that same case. So, as an accused, she is accorded the right not to testify in her own behalf. So, under the rules of procedure and under the rights of the accused, she cannot be compelled to testify on her own (case). It has to be on her own volition. You cannot force an accused to testify especially if there will be a statement that will be incriminating to the accused. So that’s in accordance with the legal procedures,” Valte explained.
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SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20101030nat5.html

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