Ex-Philippine President's Husband Charged with Graft

A court in the Philippines has issued an arrest warrant for the husband of former president Gloria Arroyo.

Prosecutors say Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo took millions of dollars in bribes from a Chinese firm, ZTE Corporation, to push through a $330 million contract to build a national broadband network in 2007.

Arroyo says the charges are unjustified because the scandal-plagued project was never carried out. His lawyer said he plans to turn himself in and post bail.

The court has also ordered the arrests of former elections chief Benjamin Abalos and ex-transportation secretary Leandro Mendoza.

Gloria Arroyo faces the same charges as her husband, She is already under arrest at a military hospital on separate charges of election fraud. She is accused of conspiring with a notorious warlord to rig the 2007 senatorial elections in her party's favor.

The election fraud case is the first of several expected to be brought against Ms. Arroyo by the government of her successor, President Benigno Aquino.

Arroyo, president from 2001 to 2010, says the charges are politically motivated and designed to boost Aquino's popularity.