UPDATE 1-Philippine Senate wants Arroyo investigated for graft

MANILA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - A Philippine Senate committee has recommended further investigation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and charges filed against her husband in connection with kickbacks in a $329 million broadband deal with China's ZTE Corp. "Her (Arroyo's) acts in this case reveal that her performance of presidential duty has been wanting," the Senate's Blue Ribbon committee said in the recommendation issued late on Tuesday. The panel said charges under the anti-graft and corrupt practices act should be filed against Jose Miguel Arroyo, the president's husband, and nine former and current government officials. The recommendations will be sent to the Office of the Ombudsman for action. Arroyo's press secretary, Cerge Remonde, rejected moves to link the president to the scandal, saying she "is being made a scapegoat as well as a pawn for a political agenda". "We hope that the final report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the ZTE issue will not end up being exploited for the cynical and oppositionist agenda of others," Remonde said, without giving details. He said the report did not present any evidence to show the president was involved in the deal, which she had canceled even after an inquiry failed to prove "conclusive" evidence against officials implicated in the project. Arroyo scrapped the deal with ZTE Corp in October 2007 but has denied she or her family benefited from the contract. Under the deal, the Chinese firm was to have linked government offices across the archipelago with broadband connections. The charges of corruption in the ZTE contract formed part of an impeachment complaint against her last year that was dismissed by the House of Representatives. Arroyo is president until June 2010 and not eligible to seek re-election. (Reporting by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Jerry Norton) (([e-mail]; [phone]; Reuters Messaging: [e-mail])) Keywords: PHILIPPINES ARROYO/ (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to [e-mail]) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.

The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.