All systems go for new ZTE-NBN witness

March 10, 2008

By Angie M. Rosales

03/11/2008

It won’t be former PNOC president Eduardo Mañalac who will testify before the Senate today, as it resumes its hearings, but definitely, a surprise witness whom the opposition senators announced last night will be present, to and tell all about the ZTE-National Broadband Network (NBN) deal that is tainted by alleged huge kickbacks received by the so-called “Greedy Group plus plus.”

As the new witness is expected to pinpoint those who pocketed the alleged multimillion-peso kickbacks, these allegations can easily be refuted or confirmed as those accused have been invited by the Senate as resource persons, included businessman Enrique Razon Jr. and Presidential Assistant for Special Projects Remedios Poblador.

First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo who is being implicated in the botched $329-million NBN is next in line as he is being considered by the Senate to be called for the succeeding hearings.

Razon allegedly took over the role of Mr. Arroyo during the 2007 elections when the presidential spouse was in hospital undergoing

heart surgery while Poblador, whose name first came out in the issue of self-confessed military intelligence agent former T/Sgt. Vidal Doble Jr., where she was said to have worked out the retrieval of Doble from the San Carlos seminary in Makati City where he sought sanctuary, to hand him over the military, and ensure his silence on the Hello Garci tapes.

Poblador was also alleged to have arranged the return to the country of Rodolfo Noel Lozada, the NBN whistleblower.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Romulo Neri, considered as the main player in the ZTE scandal, was not among those invited for the hearing called by the blue ribbon, trade and commerce and national defense committees.

He has refused to attend the Senate hearings despite President Arroyo’s lifting of her Executive Order 464, or the gag rule. He has said that his case is still pending in the Supreme Court.

At the same time, there is pressure on some high court justices to inhibit themselves from participating in the Neri case.

In an ABS-CBN-Newsbreak report in its website, it was reported that Associate Justice Presbiterio Velasco is a golfing buddy of Neri and that they had been playing golf together at Wack-Wack.

Quoting sources in the high court, the report said Velasco should have disclosed this fact to the court.

Chief Justice Puno is also being asked to inhibit himself, as the claim is that he has prejudged the case, owing to his having offered a compromise agreement between the Senate and Neri.

Despite Neri not attending the hearing, Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Sen. Panfilo Lacson said it’s all systems go for their next witness.

“As of this morning, he’s still decided to appear today and the witness will tell all. No one can control the frame of mind of this witness,” Lacson said during an interview with reporters, reiterating that the witness has direct knowledge of the alleged $41 million cash advances made by those reportedly involved in the ZTE mess.

“What I know is that the witness knows a lot about this deal. The witness will add to the testimonies, corroborate them. The witness will also contradict some testimonies of earlier resource persons. That is the extent of the witness’ knowledge of the NBN deal,” Lacson said in Tagalog.

“We’re just concerned about the security because Malacañang has the propensity to preempt witnesses. It has the propensity to even abduct witnesses. It’s better that he arrives here safe and sound,” he said, stressing that he can not add anything to what he had said earlier about the witness.

“I’m very frank, if I had known the person, I will tell you,” Pimentel, for his part, said.

“I have no exact idea who this person will be although I heard that the testimony will involve the fact that money was received and how the money was distributed. That’s the value in fact of the testimony of this person,” he said.

Pimentel warned members of the Executive summoned for the hearing against defying anew the Senate’s invitation now that the so-called gag order has been lifted, as appropriate sanctions will be meted them.

“We will have to evaluate the magnitude of their refusal to come and sanction them accordingly because now they have no excuse for doing so,” he said.

Lacson also reiterated his earlier claims that Mañalac is not the surprise witness who will come out in the hearing, saying he does not even know the former PNOC president.

The senator expressed suspicion that Malacañang preempted Mañalac’s possible appearance in the Senate to find out if he knows something about the ZTE deal as he had a falling out with the Palace.

“The only reason probably for Malacañang to have floated his name, is that he has good will with the Chinese government. They probably assumed that because of his goodwill and vast network in China, they assumed he also knows something about the ZTE deal,” he said.

Blue ribbon chair and overall lead in the probe, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano also denied having Mañalac as the next surprise witness saying that colleagues from the opposition did not mention his name to him.

Among those called for the hearing also include the following: Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Transportation Assistant Secretary Lorenzo Formoso, Brig Gen. Romeo Prestoza of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), members of the so-called “greedy group” supposedly composed of former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos, police Gen. (ret.) Quirino dela Torre, Leo San Miguel and Ruben Reyes.

In a press conference yesterday, Mañalac strongly denied reports that he is the new witness who would be presented by the Senate, even as he said that if summoned by the Senate to appear before the hearing, he would be willing to testify on matters involving the Spratlys exploration agreement, explaining that he knows nothing about the NBN deal.

At a hastily called press briefing at the Discovery Suites in Pasig City, Mañalac said:”To even imply that I have some sort of secret knowledge (on ZTE) that could implicate some parties is a lie.”

He dismissed as “irres-ponsible” an Inquirer report that identified him as the next witness in the Senate inquiry into the alleged anomalous telecom-munications project forged with China’s ZTE Corp.

“I know next to nothing about the NBN deal. To imply that I have knowledge (of it) is a lie…I’m here to declare that some of the press are guilty of distorting the truth,” Mañalac said.

“I deserve that right to study the possibility of filing charges,” he stressed, adding that he is demanding a public apology from the newspaper.”I demand a public apology from the Philippine Daily Inquirer… what PDI did is a total abuse of press freedom.”

Mañalac also said that his reaction was not sought.

With Jason Faustino

Source: http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080311hed4.html

Bookmark to: