ZTE-NBN mess a ‘learning experience’ for RP - Chinese envoy

Despite the controversy hounding the botched $329-million broadband deal between the Philippine government and a Chinese firm, China’s ambassador to the country believes the Arroyo government has done its best to weed out corruption from its ranks. If anything, the controversy involving Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp. contract for the Philippines’ National Broadband Network project was a “learning experience," according to Liu Jianchao. Liu said the best way to deal with corruption is to punish those who are involved in it. "In China we persecute corrupt officials from some of the high post in the government to the governors. We do not tolerate it," the Chinese envoy said in a forum Tuesday afternoon, hours before the Senate blue ribbon committee announced its recommendations on the scandal that rocked the Arroyo administration in 2007. This came as the Department of Foreign Affairs cited the World Bank’s 2009 World Governance Indicators report that showed improvement in the conviction rate of the Office of the Ombudsman to 73.42 percent in 2008 from 19 percent in 2006 and 55 percent in 2007. On Tuesday night, the Senate blue ribbon committee released its report recommending the filing of graft charges against personalities involved in the ZTE-NBN mess, among them President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo. Mr. Arroyo has repeatedly denied involvement in the case. Liu said that despite the ZTE-NBN controversy, the Philippines still maintains its good relation with China, one of its major trading partners in the world. - Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV