ISSUES WARNING TO SCOUNDRELS IN POWER
AQUINO TO REVIEW BIG-TICKET MIDNIGHT DEALS OKAYED BY ARROYO

Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Noynoy Aquino yesterday said he would review all big-ticket projects approved by President Arroyo in the closing days of her administration.

"If everything is above-board, nobody should be fearful about this review of contracts in the last two minutes of her presidency," he said.

"This is not going to be a witch hunt. But those who think they can plunder and get away with it, better think thrice because we will make sure there will be no safe harbor for scoundrels," Aquino said.

The 50-year old senator from Tarlac noted the controversy over the bidding for the construction of a new passenger terminal costing P6.5-billion at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at Clark Freeport, in Pampanga, among the big-ticket "midnight" deals by the terminal regime.

According to a report in the Philippine Star website, Arroyo ordered the delisting of a Kuwaiti firm from bidding for the project because of insinuations she had an interest in the company.

"There appears to be a rush to beat the election ban on the signing of government contracts from March 26. Let this be a fair warning then to all parties who are out to make money for themselves not to push through with their plans," Aquino said.

The LP bet had earlier said that he would form a commission to probe the various allegations of corruption, including the aborted ZTE-NBN deal, fertilizer scam, and Northrail poject among others during the Arroyo administration in the first 100 days of his presidency.