SOLICITOR General Jose Anselmo Cadiz on Wednesday denied that the government is engaged in fishing expedition after the Palace directed the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to declassify all information pertaining to the alleged P660-million behest loans it granted to businessman Roberto Ongpin in 2009 and three other questionable deals during the Arroyo administration.

In a statement, Cadiz insisted that the declassification of the information is in line with President Aquino’s determination to hold answerable all those allegedly engaged in anomalous transactions during the past regime.

Cadiz added that the government has a strong case to prosecute Ongpin for graft involving the grant of P660-million loans to Ongpin’s company, Delta Ventures Resources Inc. (DVRI), which is considered grossly disadvantageous to the state-owned bank, even without the declassification.

 “This is not persecution and we are not engaged in witch-hunting. We are only holding him [Ongpin] accountable for his misdeeds. Let it be tried openly,” Cadiz said.

“Why not just answer the allegations hurled against him? If they have nothing to hide, then why attack the President? Why make a fuss about it? If they have nothing to fear, they should have welcomed it [the declassification],” the solicitor general said.

Cadiz said Ongpin should welcome the declassification of DVRI’s documents if he believes that his loans were aboveboard.

“If the documents will not show anything, why be afraid? If he [Ongpin] has done nothing wrong he should welcome the documents. Why be afraid if it will exonerate him?” Cadiz said, in reaction to a statement by Ongpin’s lawyer.

The solicitor general said the declassification of any information relative to details of the alleged anomalous transactions involving DVRI/ Philex Mining Corp. and three other questionable DBP deals during the Arroyo administration is in line with President Aquino’s policy of transparency and good governance, and zero tolerance against graft and corruption.

Aside from the alleged behest loans granted to the DVRI, also covered by the Palace’s order to declassify are details of individual accounts or specific banking transactions of the DBP on Global Air Services Inc./Metrorail Transit Corp., installment sale of the shares of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), and investments in Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

Malacanang, however, clarified that all the information pertaining to the four transactions should only be made available “to the Office of the Solicitor General and other government agencies/bodies specifically clothed with power and authority to investigate and make inquiry under existing laws and jurisprudence.”

 “Even without the declassification, there is already a strong case to hold Ongpin liable for graft and violation of banking laws, he added.