By ANTHONY IAN CRUZ
Malaya
February 26, 2008

THE Gabriela Women’s Party in Hong Kong (GWP-HK) group on Sunday distributed “WANTED” posters to compel Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo to return to the Philippines and face corruption charges over the $329-million NBN-ZTE broadband deal.

The group distributed the posters at an interfaith rally held by OFW groups along Chater Road.

“However he may try to hide, protests will hound Mike Arroyo until he is made accountable for his crimes,” said GWP-HK chair Cynthia Abdon-Tellez.

Abdon-Tellez said OFWs are “not amused” that President Arroyo’s husband went to Hong Kong “to dodge protests and the Senate investigation.”

Going to Hong Kong “reeks of guilt,” she said.

The First Gentleman flew to Hong Kong Friday purportedly for acupuncture treatment. He was due to attend the Ombudsman’s ZTE inquiry Tuesday.

ZTE whistleblower Jose “Joey” de Venecia III has accused the presidential spouse of bullying him to back off from the broadband project.

Senate ZTE witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada has testified that the First Gentleman is the “political patron” of Benjamin Abalos Sr. who has “brokered” the broadband deal for ZTE Corp.

Abdon-Tellez said OFWs believe that Mr. Arroyo is his wife’s top “commissioner” if all the scandals and corruption charges leveled against the first couple since 2001 are taken into account.

OFWs around the world vowed to hold demonstrations to coincide with the massive interfaith rally on February 29 in Makati.

Rita Baua, Bayan international officer and the secretariat office of Migrante International, in separate statements said they will hold protests this week in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal; Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York; Sydney; and in Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait, Dubai, Jordan, Bahrain and Doha.