Mike Arroyo belittles Senate body’s findings in ZTE mess – lawyer

The lawyer of Jose Miguel Arroyo on Wednesday said the First Gentleman is unfazed by the Senate blue ribbon committee’s recommendation that graft charges be lodged against him in connection with the controversial broadband deal the government entered with a Chinese firm in 2007. Lawyer Ruy Rondain said Mr. Arroyo "was not shocked" or worried because the Office of the Ombudsman had earlier decided that there was no solid proof that the First Gentleman was involved in the $329-million National Broadband Network deal with China’s Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment Inc. (ZTE). Rondain said the blue ribbon panel’s report – which would be transmitted to the Ombudsman – was "not evidentiary." Last Tuesday, Sen. Richard Gordon’s committee released its report, which found basis of supposed involvement of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's husband in the allegedly graft-tainted deal that rocked the administration in 2007. The report recommended the filing of graft charges against the First Gentleman and other key personalities: former Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos, former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chair (now head of the Social Security Systems) Romulo Neri, Transportation Sec. Leandro Mendoza, Pangasinan Rep. and former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., his son Jose “Joey" de Venecia III, and Rodolfo “Jun" Lozada Jr. State witnesses? In a separate television interview, Gordon hinted that Lozada and the younger De Venecia could ask for their exclusion from the charge sheet when the committee report reaches the Ombudsman’s doorsteps. “Pwede siyang maging state witness, sabihin lang niya (Lozada). Iyon puwede, sapagkat makakatulong siya (Lozada can ask to be a state witness because he could help in the investigation)," Gordon told GMA News’ Unang Hirit. Gordon said that Lozada has high chances of becoming a state witness because of his exposé on the deal and the alleged involvement of Abalos who supposedly brokered the deal between the government and ZTE. [See: Transcript of Lozada’s testimonies in February 2008] He added that a whistleblower law should be created so that other whistleblowers - referring to the younger De Venecia - could not be listed as suspects and be made into state witnesses instead. GMANews.TV tried to reach Lozada, but he was unavailable for comment. In a separate radio interview, the younger De Venecia said he was “happy" that Mr. Arroyo is now facing graft charges. He, however, did not make a comment on the possibility of being a state witness as suggested by Gordon. Joey de Venecia heads Amsterdam Holdings Inc., a losing bidder in the NBN project, which was bagged by ZTE Corp. through alleged brokering by Abalos and the First Gentleman. Both Abalos and Mr. Arroyo vehemently denied the accusation. The younger De Venecia claimed Mr. Arroyo told him to “back off" so that ZTE could bag the broadband project deal. But President Arroyo aborted the agreement in 2007 at the height of the controversy that rocked her administration. De Venecia III also accused Abalos of offering him $10 million to back out from bidding. Neri had also testified before the Senate in September 2007 that Abalos offered him a P200-million bribe for the then NEDA chief to recommend the approval of the NBN-ZTE deal to President Arroyo. In Wednesday’s television interview, Gordon said he was just performing his duty in listing all those who should be accountable for the allegedly graft-tainted NBN project deal. - GMANews.TV