Neri feeling the pressure from students - Cayetano

MANILA, Philippines - He may have won a victory at the Supreme Court, but former socio-economic planning secretary Romulo Neri is feeling the pressure from a new student-fueled people power, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said Thursday. Cayetano made the assessment after joining Neri in a meeting of the University of the Philippines Board of Regents in Quezon City, the first time they met since the high court issued its order favoring Neri. "More of yung official meeting namin sa UP. Medyo kinantyawan ko lang nung binoto sino gusto niya dean ng UP, sabi ko executive privilege yan di mo kailangan sabihin kung sino ang binoto mo (It was more of UP business we discussed. But during the election for the dean of the UP College of Law, I jokingly told him he can choose not to reveal who he voted for because it's executive privilege)," Cayetano said in a radio interview Thursday noon. Cayetano was referring to Neri's repeated invocation of executive privilege in snubbing Senate inquiries into the $329.48-million national broadband network deal with ZTE Corp. of China. Cayetano chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, which, along with the Trade and Defense committees are looking into the mess. A separate radio report quoted Neri as saying that internal issues and "no politics" was discussed during the meeting. Also at the BOR meeting was Rep. Cynthia Villar, wife of Senate President Manuel Villar. On the other hand, Cayetano said Neri is beginning to "feel the pressure" from students, whom he said had been following Neri and pressuring him to tell the truth on the ZTE mess. Before the BOR meeting, UP employees picketed the Quezon Hall where the BOR meeting was to be held. Neri, as chairman of the Commission on Higher Education also chairs the BOR. "I think ramdam niya kasi binulong sa akin ng ibang staff pagpasok na pagpasok ko kahit saan board meeting at kahit anong state university, may estudyante na talagang humihingi kay Sec. Neri magsalita na (I think Neri is feeling the pressure. Some university staff informed me that anywhere he goes, students at state-run universities admonish him to tell the truth)," Cayetano said. "This is the right way to go, that it will really be people power in another way, public pressure from people to tell the truth," he added. He said this shows that even with the high court decision favoring Neri, "no one can ignore people power coming from the students." "Nakita mo naman kahit iba small or medium or large groups sentiment-wise ... nagkakaisa ang estudyante (You can see that whether the groups are small, medium or large, sentiment wise they are united)," he added. "As this pressure grows more and more public officials will start realizing we can not hide from the truth always. It's really time to tell all," he added. The ZTE scandal has spawned the renewed calls for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign from office, after witness Rodolfo Lozada linked her husband to the botched deal. First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, however, has denied any involvement in the ZTE deal.- GMANews.TV