Senate sets hearing on GMA’s ‘secret visit’

May 14, 2008

Palace confirms that President Arroyo had meeting with ZTE officials in 2006

The Senate blue-ribbon committee has set a hearing for the new witness in the national broadband scandal, who has photos of President Gloria Arroyo’s “secret visit” to ZTE headquarters in Shenzhen, China six months before she witnessed the signing of the firm’s $329-million contract for the scandal-plagued project.

Malacañang confirmed Wednesday that President Arroyo met with officials of ZTE during a side trip to China from Hong Kong in 2006.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, the committee chairman, said the new witness, whom he did not identify, had agreed to testify before the blue ribbon within the next two weeks. The blue ribbon did not have any hearing since former Socioeconomic planning Chief Romulo Neri went to the Supreme Court to question the blue ribbon’s authority to compel him to answer questions and to cite him in contempt.

He said that the witness, whom he called “Alias Alex,” together with Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico, showed two pictures and said President Arroyo went to the ZTE headquarters and met with the firm’s officials after playing golf in Shenzhen.

He said the President should answer if she really met with ZTE officials and reveal what they had talked about.

“Why is it so hard for the President to either categorically deny that she met with them, or deny that she was there, or confirm that she was there? How come they’re now being very evasive?” Cayetano said of Malacañang’s claim that the pictures were merely spliced.

He said that the witness would not give an affidavit in advance because that would reveal his identity “which he could not do right now to make sure that he is safe.”

He insisted, however, that the witness would not do a “Leo San Miguel,” in reference to the “surprise witness” of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who surprised everybody by claiming he knew nothing about the alleged overpricing of the broadband project.

Nothing different

Deputy Press Secretary Lorelei Fajardo said the meeting, where President Arroyo supposedly played golf with ZTE officials, was “no different” from past meetings with potential foreign investors.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said President Arroyo met with ZTE officials in November 2, 2006 but said the meeting was merely a “social call.”

“How can you make the activity a secret? If the President leaves the country everyone should know it. And whenever she goes out, the receiving state provides security,” Ermita said.

Miriam knows identity of witness

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said she had been informed that the new witness is lawyer Alex Avisado, who had served as counsel for the opposition and “Hello Garci” witness Sgt. Vidal Doble.

“This being the case, I doubt if somebody identified with the opposition could be a part of a presidential party to China,” she said.

Cayetano denied that “Alias Alex” is really Avisado, saying the new witness is not even a lawyer.

Santiago said she would question the reopening of the blue-ribbon inquiry on the broadband deal, which will just determine if President Arroyo really went to the ZTE headquarters six months before the contract signing.

She contended that hush-hush meetings on a project like the broadband project were normal to prevent other parties from getting wind of the project.

Cayetano, however, said the visit should be viewed in the context of her decision to change the original concept of the broadband project from a build-operate-transfer project to a government-to-government scheme with sovereign guarantee.

He already has the witness’ initial testimony, which he described as “substantial.”

“I know that it is direct testimony and I know it talks about the role of the President. That’s why I want the people to hear it from the witness himself so that every single person can judge [it] directly,” Cayetano said.

Abalos alleges politicking

The camp of former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. on Wednesday dismissed as politics the sudden emergence of a new witness to the broadband scandal.

Lawyer Salvador Panelo, legal counsel and spokesman of the former poll chief, said that the political enemies of President Arroyo are just trying to resurrect the issue to gain leverage for the 2010 elections.

Abalos was dragged into scandal for allegedly being one of the “brokers” of the broadband deal.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales dismissed the testimony of the new witness in the broadband deal as nothing but “hearsay.”

“His [witness] statement was wild. He is not credible as his testimony was obtained from a third- party source,” Gonzales said.

The new witness is being handled by Gonzalez’s provincemate, Rolex Suplico, who said his witness has more photos on the visit of the President to the ZTE headquarters.

Lozada barred from leaving country

The Department of Justice has also placed broadband star witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr. on the immigration’s “watchlist” to prevent him from leaving the country unless he has the travel clearance from a court and other concerned government agencies.

Gonzalez issued the order Wednesday following Lozada’s statement that he is considering leaving the country with his family to start a new life, if the Court of Appeals will deny the writ of amparo petition filed in his behalf by his brother, Arturo.

The writ of amparo, if granted, would provide Lozada the protection against the government’s security forces he accused of harassing and threatening him.

source: http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/15/yehey/metro/20080515met1.html

By Efren L. Danao Senior Reporter–With Angelo S. Samonte, William B. Depasupil and Francis Earl A. Cueto

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