MANILA, Philippines - Why is the Aquino administration allying itself with a multiple murder suspect such as Zaldy Ampatuan just to pin down former President Gloria Arroyo?

Arroyo's lawyer, Raul Lambino, posed this question Monday after noting that the suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor seems to be getting special treatment and may soon be placed under hospital arrest.

"Why is the government cutting a deal with Ampatuan when he is an accused in the Maguindanao massacre? He just wants to go free. Even the massacre victims' lawyers opposed his being given witness protection," he told radio dzMM.

Lambino said Ampatuan will be "freed" from prison by being given hospital arrest after a government doctor confirmed the ARMM official is suffering from hypertension and diabetes.

He, however, said that there are other prisoners with health problems that do not get similar type of treatment.

"This definitely has clearance from Malacañang. The Maguindanao massacre is very sensitive They will sacrifice all that just to destroy the image of Arroyo," he said.

Lambino said one sign that a deal is being hammered out between Ampatuan and Malacañang is the timed releases of Zaldy's accusations. He said former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol surfaced after 4 years in hiding just to back Ampatuan's claim that Arroyo cheated in the 2007 poll.

"The statements by Bedol and Ampatuan are unsigned. They are showing it piecemeal to the media. I think the deal is still being hammered out on how to accuse Arroyo. They should sign it so we can answer the affidavits point by point," he said.

Another sign that shows Malacañang's hand in the poll fraud revelations is the government's lack of interest in arresting Bedol. The former election officer is accused of gross negligence and gross neglect of duty for failing to secure vital election paraphernalia in the 2007 polls.

Lambino said Bedol would not have surfaced and eluded arrest without assurances that he will be given protection. He said he is surprised that even reporters have access to Bedol.

"Even Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said the DILG or police do not have Bedol but he said he knows who is protecting him. Malacañang knows. We want to know where Bedol hid, how he got here, and how he arrived without being arrested," he said.

Lambino said the timing of the accusations also came just a few weeks before President Aquino's State of the Nation Address. He said the revelations will be used to mask Aquino's lack of accomplishments in his first year in office.

Instead of issuing the revelations to the media, he said the proper cases should be filed in court.

Palace also orchestrated Mariano video

Lambino also denied that his client knows about retired Colonel Generoso Mariano, who made a videotape calling for President Benigno Aquino III’s overthrow.

He said the release of Mariano's video on YouTube was another Palace tactic so they could make more charges against the former President.

Lambino scoffed at the Palace's statement that Mariano can now work for Arroyo since he is retired from the Naval Reserve Command.

"Will Mariano work for Arroyo? She doesn't know him. We only heard about him when the video came out in news reports. No one in our group knows him," he said.