Lacson, Madrigal aides affirm Neri's ‘evil’ tag on Arroyo

Aides of two opposition senators on Tuesday faced the Senate investigation on the ZTE broadband controversy and affirmed that former Socioeconomic Planning chief Romulo Neri called President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo "evil" in a meeting in Makati City last December 7. Former Philippine Tourism Authority head Angelito Banayo and lawyer Gary Jimenez said Neri made the assessment “with a grimace" while discussing President Arroyo's obsession with political survival. "He (Neri) said it with a grimace or expression of pain on his face. He said, she is evil. And he bowed his head and he repeated in a softer tone, she is evil," Banayo, now a political consultant of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, told senators during the hearing. Jimenez, chief of staff of Sen. Ana Consuelo Madrigal, also affirmed that Neri's "evil" tag on the chief executive. "And after that he said it a second time. But he was bowing his head. The first time it was said matter-of-factly, very casually. That was my recollection," Jimenez said. Banayo said Neri gave him, Lacson and Jimenez copies of a diagram of policies and activities of the president and her circle of influence. The diagram included national oligarchs who exercise influence on policy and program implementation. Banayo mentioned Tom Alcantara, who he said Neri linked to oil smuggling. "(He said Alcantara) is into oil smuggling. It was the first time I heard Mr Tom Alcantara linked to oil smuggling," he said. When Lacson asked Banayo how much the oil smuggling involved, Banayo said, "the answer of Secretary Neri was $3 million." Banayo also quoted Neri as saying President Arroyo was concerned with her political survival and had to ensure it by controlling the Lower House through campaign finances provided by national oligarchs and pork barrel releases. He said Lacson even kidded Neri that during the impeachment hearing of President Arroyo in 2005, the president repeatedly called Neri for the pork releases of congressmen. "He (Neri) laughed and said that was a harrowing experience," Banayo recalled. Banayo said Neri also said then House speaker Jose de Venecia Jr was not in the equation because since his son, Jose III, testified on the NBN deal, the elder de Venecia "no longer matters in the power equation." Banayo said Neri looked evasive on the signing of the ZTE contract. "My impression was, Neri was uncomfortable answering anything about NBN project. He segued to another discussion of the diagram he gave us... These reforms I kept articulating before ... anybody who dares to listen will not be solved because as far as PGMA is concerned, she is so beholden to these national oligarchs," he said. - GMANews.TV