Philippine president Arroyo described as 'evil' in graft probe; in graft probe

Manila: Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been described as "evil" in a Senate inquiry into a corruption scandal on Monday.

The inquiry into allegations of bribery in a telecoms deal has prompted renewed calls for Arroyo to resign, sparking the biggest protests since 2005, when tens of thousands of people demonstrated against her amid accusations of election fraud.

Rodolfo Lozada, the probe's star witness, told senators that Romulo Neri, Arroyo's former economic planning chief, had wanted to resign due to controversy over the state's $329 million deal with China's ZTE Corp, which was allegedly overpriced by $130 million to fund kickbacks.

"He called President GMA evil," Lozada, a former senior government official, said in emotional testimony. "He's been agonizing over it."

Asked why Neri wanted to resign, Lozada replied: "Because the president has lost all moral authority over him."