What the ZTE witnesses said...

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Sept. 10, 2007 affidavit:

• Abalos met ZTE officials in China and demanded a $130-million kickback from the project

• Neri had three meetings with Abalos, during which ZTE Corp. as a proponent for the national broadband network project was discussed.

• Neri said Abalos attended a luncheon meeting with him at the NEDA which was also attended by Chinese embassy officials --who arranged the meeting--and ZTE Corporation. Then, they had a very nice golf game.

• Abalos wanted to protect his $130-million commission
  
• By December, the ZTE reps were already getting frantic because they’d already gave enough advances to Abalos.

Sept. 10, 2007 affidavit:

Abalos offered JDV3 a $10 million bribe in exchange for withdrawing from the NBN project.

Sept. 26, 2007 Senate hearing:

"There was something that he (Abalos) said that surprised me. 'Sec, may 200 ka dito... medyo nabigla ako but since he was our host I kept quiet."

At Wack-Wack, Abalos told Lozada he will give their (Neri's) 200 upon the project's approval.

Feb. 7, 2008 presscon at La Salle Greenhills:

"So, it was also at this point because of Joey’s hesitance to agree on the $130-million commission, that Chairman Abalos started considering doing the project on his own..."

"Romy blurted three items in succession: 'This deal was the handiwork of Ricky Razon and Comelec chief Benjamin Abalos ... I warned President Arroyo about this, and also told Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. ... Abalos tried to bribe me P200 million.'"

Sept. 10, 2007 affidavit:

• Abalos screamed expletives at JDV3; told him he bugged JDV3's phone.

Feb. 7, 2008 press conference at La Salle Greenhills:

"And then he started cursing. Mura siya nang mura in Tagalog, lahat-lahat. At ang sabi niya, nandito sa akin yung CD lahat ng phone conversations ninyo nina Joey, mga hayop kayo, tina-traydor n’yo ko."

"So, I just took with a grain, and then Chairman Abalos ended up…his words with, 'Huwag kang magpapakita sa aking hayop ka sa Wack –Wack o sa Mandaluyong at ipapapatay kita.'"

• FG Arroyo told JDV3 to "back off" from pursuing the multi-million dollar national broadband network project.

• Neri clarified that he and FG did not talk about the NBN project.

• Abalos "conferred" with First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo on the phone.

"At that point, that was the time that Chairman Abalos said, halika, tawagan natin si FG. So, sabi niya, nung tinawagan niya, pare nandito yung taga NEDA sa tabi ko, hindi raw puwedeng i-utang yung project ko."

"My personal knowledge is that the president is that the President is not involved in this controversy."

October 25, 2007 Senate hearing:

JDV3 recalled what Neri had said about his conversation with the President:

“If I remember it went like this. When Secretary Neri told the President that Abalos had offered him P200 million, the President responded, “Bakit di mo tinanggap? " Secretary Neri’s response to that was, ‘Ma’am, hindi po ako ganong klaseng tao.’ It was only at this point that the President said that ‘Huwag mo nang tanggapin pero i-approve mo ang project.'"

• Neri consulted his lawyer about Abalos' offer, and he was advised to disclose this to the President. President Arroyo told him not to accept the money.

October 25, 2007 Senate hearing:

• Bondoc quoted Neri: "Ang sinabi lang sa kin was wag mong tanggapin but approve the project."

October 1, 2007 column in the Philippine Star:

"Three times Romy repeated he had warned Arroyo about the deal. He told her about the bribe offer, and she allegedly replied 'then don’t accept it, but work on the approvals just the same.' He said Arroyo kept blaming Joey for the mess that was then brewing."

Minutes of a NEDA meeting

• Neri said that PGMA wanted this NBN project as BOT.

"Ang sabi ko ho sa kanya na hindi ho puwedeng de-deretcho kayo, kasi ang kabilin-bilinan ni Secretary Neri, na yun din ata ang utos ng Presidente, na this project can only be done through a BOT basis, hindi puwedeng utang."

ZTE approval

Feb. 7, 2008 press conference at La Salle Greenhills:

"When I quit the project, the project cost was $262 million. So it was approved. I don’t know what happened then. I’m not imputing anything now. But when it was approved, it was already approved at $329 million. And the day after it was approved, the President together with PagCor officials, went to China to witness the signing of the agreement."

October 1, 2007 column in the Philippine Star:

"When I asked why his NEDA approved the ZTE proposal when he knew all along it was stinky, he said, “GMA was pushing it, and it’s our job to process." With pain in his voice, Romy said he had almost resigned the day before."

October 25, 2007 Senate hearing:

JDV3 said his father told him about the Speaker's meeting with the President at the house of Indica Aboitiz:

"PGMA daw screamed at my father. When my gather was about to leave. PGMA daw said Joe Please stay. Please stay.