Former Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio on Wednesday said they are ready to take lie detector tests on the issue of the Palace's alleged plot to manipulate the impeachment of President Arroyo.
"Opo naman kung kinakailangan. Subalit gaya nga ng sinasabi namin ito po ay kung makakatulong para maglahad ng katotohanan at ito ay makakatulong sa mamamayan na maghusga kung ano ang dapat mangyari at ano ang aksyon na kinakailangan para maresolba natin ang krisis... (Of course, if it is needed. Like we said before, this is only if it would help bring out the truth and help the people to decide what course to take to resolve this crisis)," Soliman told DZMM when asked if she would take the polygraph.
Soliman earlier revealed that the original impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Oliver Lozano may have been a Malacañan-backed plot to prevent the filing of a stronger complaint against President Arroyo.
She said she heard a conversation between the President and Claudio in Malacañan on the night the Chief Executive delivered her "I am sorry" speech. She claimed the President told Claudio to have the Lozano complaint endorsed.
"I was right beside the President and Secretary Gabby was in front of us. Several people also saw us when we were talking," Soliman said.
Claudio, however, denied the allegations, saying he was unable to talk to the President on June 27.
He also denied telling the President and Soliman that he would ask Alagad Rep. Rodante Marcoleta to endorse the Lozano complaint.
"I am ready to take a lie-detector test but only if it is needed just like what Secretary Soliman said. However, we shouldn't let it get to that because it cheapens what we are discussing especially between us frirends. I just don't understand where she got her information, that she heard something like that," Claudio said.
Marcoleta also denied backing the Lozano complaint on Claudio's insistence. He said he never met nor talked to Claudio until after he endorsed the complaint.
Soliman said that she and the members of the so-called Hyatt 10 of ex-Cabinet members have already executed a sworn affidavit that contains information that may help impeach the President.
She declined to reveal the contents of the affidavit, saying they would disclose it in the proper forum and under oath.
The former social welfare secretay also claimed that members of the Hyatt 10 group of ex-Cabinet members are still intact. Only five members of the group appeared in a press conference on Tuesday.