Report: Palace execs told to grace Senate ZTE probe

09/20/2007 | 12:49 PM

Malacañang officials were ordered to come in full force to the Senate on Thursday afternoon as a show of support for three key executives who will be grilled over the $329.4-million national broadband network project bagged by China's ZTE Corp.

Radio dzEC quoted Cerge Remonde, director general of the Presidential Management Staff, as saying that Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita ordered all Cabinet members to grace the Senate hearing.

However, the attendance of the Cabinet executives would depend on their respective schedules on Thursday. Remonde told dzEC radio that officials without any important commitments are obliged to go.

Expected to be grilled are Secretaries Leandro Mendoza (transportation and communications) and Peter Favila (trade and industry) as well as Chairman Romulo Neri of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Neri was the socioeconomic planning secretary when the government was evaluating the deal.

The three attended an emergency meeting in Malacañang on Wednesday night to prepare for the Senate hearing.

Malacañang officials have received flak for skirting congressional inquiries by invoking Executive Order 464 and Memorandum Circular 108. - GMANews.TV

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