‘Ma’am called San Miguel to deny Palace kickback’

March 12, 2008

Where Ma’am once called a poll commissioner to pad 1 million votes to ensure her victory in the presidential polls by subtracting the opposition standard-bearer’s votes to add to hers, it appears that Ma’am again went into a repeat of her phone call mode, this time calling a ZTE broadband witness, Leo San Miguel, a ZTE consultant representing the Philippine group, telling him to deny receiving $41 million in kickbacks by the “Greedy Group plus plus” which reportedly includes the presidential couple, as alleged by another ZTE-National Broadband Network witness Dante Madriaga.

Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday disclosed that during the luncheon at the Senate where San Miguel was asked to join in, after the ZTE-NBN hearing last Tuesday broke up for lunch, the Senate security that was close by heard San Luis talking to someone on his mobile phone, with him clearly saying, ‘Yes Ma’am. Yes Ma’am. I will deny it.”

“Ma’am” usually refers to President Arroyo, especially when followed by a polite “opo” in Tagalog.

It was also discovered and divulged by Lacson that Malacañang got through the witness via lawyer Marcelino Agana IV who works in the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO), to ensure that that San Miguel withholds details on the alleged kickbacks and overpricing that accompanied the NBN contract.

It will be recalled that Lacson, during the hearing asked San Miguel pointblank whether he had spoken to any government official on the eve of the Senate hearing and on the day itself, and San Miguel, whom the other NBN witnesses tagged as a member of the Greedy Group plus plus, he, even under oath, flatly denied it.

The Malacañang official in the Senate, confronted by reporters yesterday admitted to having talked to cable television and telecommunications executive San Miguel on the eve of the ZTE hearing last Tuesday as well as in the morning just before his public appearance in the proceedings.

The revelation on Agana came as opposition Lacson leveled new charges, saying that San Miguel was talking to Ma’am during a break in their hearing and was even overheard assuring Ma’am that he will be issuing a denial.

San Miguel, who was billed as Lacson’s surprise witness, was expected to provide detailed information on the millions of dollars in advances to the Greedy Group plus plus that reportedly includes former poll chairman Benjamin Abalos, Sr., businessman Ruben Reyes and retired police Gen. Quirino dela Torre, now claimed by San Luis to be his partner, specifically on the distribution of kickbacks, amounting to $41 million so far.

“I won’t comment at this time (if his testimony will link the First Couple). But suffice it to say, he gave us leads and information….there were names made and information that will provide the paper trail on the millions of dollars that were released as advances,” Lacson said in an interview, referring to the materials San Miguel turned over to him during their meetings.

The senator and San Miguel met at least four times before the latter agreed to finally testify before the three Senate committees investigating the ZTE deal.

San Miguel, as it turned out, divulged nothing, denying even direct knowledge of the alleged cash advances, as well as in meeting personally First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo during the so-called “back off” incident involving the son of former Speaker, businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia III.

Hours after San Miguel’s appearance in the Senate or after the proceedings that lasted 12 and a half hours, Lacson managed to bring out an explanation on the conduct of the witness, bolstering earlier suspicions that the former was prodded to give a testimony contrary to what he had earlier relayed to the senator.

Lacson was tipped off by members of the Office of sergeant-at-arms (OSAA) of the Senate who were manning the security of San Miguel the entire time Tuesday, saying that the witness was talking to “Ma’am” while they were having their luncheon break.

“He (San Miguel) was overheard by the OSAA talking to Ma’am, saying ‘Yes ma’am’, ‘yes Ma’am’, ‘I will deny it Ma’am.” Lacson said this was what was relayed to him by the OSSA members guarding San Miguel.

“I don’t know who he was talking to, maybe it is his wife but would you call your wife ‘Ma’am’? And he was firm in saying ‘Yes ma’am’, ‘Yes Ma’am’, I will deny it, Ma’am.”

“The more he went into a full denial after lunch. I was hoping after the lunch break that he could slowly be prodded into telling the truth but the more he went into a denial mode,” he said, adding that his denial stand became even stronger after talking to Ma’am.”

Lacson would not directly admit it, merely insinuating the person on the other end of the line was President Arroyo.

“There is only one ‘Ma’am’ who is addressed with ‘opo Ma’am (Yes Ma’am) and saying I will deny it Ma’am,” Lacson said, adding that this was after San Luis had talked with Agana.

Based on the information that reached the senator, Agana supposedly managed to corner San Miguel in the middle of the break and there the conversation with ‘Ma’am’ took place.

Agana, in an interview with reporters, denied Lacson’s allegations, claiming he knew nothing of the issue on the supposed “Ma’am”, but admitted talking to the witness before the hearing, and also before the actual public hearing took place.

Agana said he and San Miguel talked around 7 p.m. or some two hours before the latter met for the last time with Lacson on the eve of the hearing. As to the reason for their meeting, he did not elaborate.

While they did not meet before the proceedings took place, Agana admitted talking to San Miguel by phone while the latter was already on his way to the upper chamber.

“He asked if we could meet somewhere…I told him it won’t be a good idea,” he said.

Agana, however, said that he and San Miguel have been in contact with each other even before the latter was issued a subpoena by the Senate.

San Miguel even told him that the businessman intends to attend the future hearings if called.

“He called me…he said he wanted to tell me something and asked me to proceed to the bills and index section and he said ‘I’m not allowed to give my whole story’,” Agana said in recalling San Miguel’s complaint on the manner in which he is being made to answer questions from senators.

But as to the issue of the alleged person San Miguel talked to on the phone, Agana denied the incident taking place in his presence.

Lacson, despite what happened, said he is yet to give up on San Miguel.

“I’m not giving up on him because everyone has a redeeming value. Holy Week is coming. The outlook may be different by then,” the senator noted.

“I will still do my job, if there is no senator or congressman who will not look for witnesses to stop the anomalies in government,” he vowed.

For its part, Malacañang belied Lacson’s claim it has anything to do with San Miguel’s testimony.

“I don’t see how Malacañang can have access to this guy (San Miguel). You saw how he was grilled for many hours,” Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told a news conference at the Palace.

Ermita, however, failed to explain why a Malacañang official in the Senate, in the person of Agana, would seek out San Luis the night before the hearing and on the day itself.

By Angie M. Rosales

Source: http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080313hed1.html

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