Arroyo aware of corruption allegations before signing NBN deal!

[niky]

Actually, think about it:

They released the wiretap that implicates Jun Lozada, but also has him saying that Abalos is asking for a lot of grease money for the deal.

Now GMA is saying that she heard some allegations about it.

My prediction?

GMA is getting ready to jettison Abalos... kumbaga... he's become a liability, and she's ready to sacrifice him.

[oliver1013]

Ayan na naglaglagan na mga kalaban Dapat mag concert na sila Time to concoct a good exit para standing ovation

[bayonic]

what can you expect from G L O R I A ?

G O L I A R ! ! !

[CVT]

what can you expect from G L O R I A ?

G O L I A R ! ! !

That is a good one, bro.....

I'd say it's an "executive prerogative"....

5505:home:

[Zeus]

Mukhang binawi ni Pres. Arroyo yung sinabi niya a.

[chilli]

Senate rejects Palace claim on NBN probe

By HANNAH L. TORREGOZA

Senators yesterday rejected Malacañang’s claim that the Senate mishandled its investigation of the $ 329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) project which was cancelled by President Arroyo during a trip to China last year.

Senate President Manuel "Manny" B. Villar Jr. said the joint committees hearing the case are right on track and its developments are disclosed every public hearing.
"I have full trust with the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee and the other committees sitting on the NBN deal," Villar said. The chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon panel is Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano.
The allegedly overpriced NBN project is being probed by three Senate committees, the Blue Ribbon, Trade and Commerce, and National Defense and Security.
Contrary to Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye’s statement, Villar said the Senate is still the proper venue to "ferret out the truth."
"Ang alam ang set up ng gobyerno ay magkaroon ng check and balance, may Senado, may Executive…Maliban na lang kung nagbago ng sistema," Villar said.
Bunye’s statement that the Senate probe on the NBN project is anchored on baseless and unsubstantiated claims was also rejected by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel Jr.
"Bunye should not play deaf and blind to such ample evidence in the face of his sweeping statements. The piles of testimonial and documentary evidence on the anomalous (NBN) project that have surfaced in the series of Senate hearings belie Malacañang’s claim that the Senate has mishandled the inquiry on the case," Pimentel said.
Villar supported a proposal calling for a partial committee report on the Senate’s investigation of the NBN project.
Villar said he is open to an initial committee report on the NBN project, as this could help update the public on the facts and developments of the case.
"Sa akin, pwede sigurong gumawa na ng parang interim report kung ano ang nagagawa so far para naman sa benepisyo rin ng ating mga kababayan, ng mga miyembro ng Senado…Parang summary so far ng mga nagawa na at iyong mga dapat pang gawin," Villar said.
Villar said he would leave it to the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to decide whether or not to produce a partial committee report on the NBN project.
"Sila ang nag-iimbestiga diyan, kaya sila ang magdedesisyon kung ano ang dapat nilang gawin," Villar said.
"Pero iyong magkaroon ng kumpletong report, palagay ko hintayin muna natin si (former Socio-Economic Planning) Secretary (Romulo) Neri. Mahirap iterminate ngayon dahil marami pa tayong ipinatawag na hindi pa dumarating," Villar said.

Source: Manila Bulletin
Tuesday, March 18, 2008

[Zeus]

May bagong witness at nagsilabasan ang mga litrato ng presidente sa China na hindi official visit, pero dumalaw sa ZTE ofc...malilink kaya sya dito?

[CVT]

Ang ganda.... ng mga pictures sa Shenzhen....

6000:mobile:

[Isuzoom]

alam ng lahat yan pati mga taga opposition...maingay lang ang di kasili sa hatian....mga buset!!! pareho lang kayo mga kawatan...

[Monseratto]

I guess the senate is now in a dilemma whether to push through with their so-called "new witness". They may be trying to "fix" Alex's testimony to fit in Joey's earlier testimony...

Did Joey de Venecia clear GMA in Shenzhen golf game?

If the old account of Jose "Joey" De Venecia III on the controversial Shenzhen golf game of President Arroyo and ZTE officials is to be believed, the new witness—"Alex"—has nothing to say that will implicate the President in the allegedly overpriced US$329 million national broadband network deal.

Talking about the golf game in a Senate hearing on Sept. 18, 2007, De Venecia said that while President Arroyo did play golf with the ZTE officials, he maintained that—at that time—the President was unaware of any under-the-table deal involving the government’s national broadband network project.

The golf game photos were taken on Nov. 2, 2006. It was a few months later, or in March 2007, that the infamous "back off" incident—where the First Gentleman supposedly told De Venecia to withdraw his bid for the project to favor the ZTE Corp. took place. That was also the time that National Economic and Development Authority secretary-general Romulo Neri reported to President Arroyo the P200-million bribe offered him by alleged project mastermind, then Commission on Elections chief Banjamin Abalos Sr.

"In fact, she (President Arroyo) was surprised that Abalos was there (in Shenzhen), my father told [me]," he said. This is consistent with Malacañang’s recent statement that the meeting of President Arroyo and Abalos was only a "chance meeting."

The young de Venecia was not present in the golf game. He was merely quoting his father and namesake—then Speaker Jose "Joe" De Venecia Jr.—who was part of the presidential entourage. The former Speaker’s wife, Gina, recently confirmed the golf game, too.

‘My president’

Iloilo vice governor Rolex Suplico, who presented "Alex" last week—told reporters today that he had lost touch with the witness. On Sunday, Suplico also said that his witness was having second thoughts about testifying in the Senate because his life is in danger. Alex, who was supposedly part of the presidential entourage in China , provided the photos of President Arroyo’s golf game with ZTE officials.

Abalos’s lawyer, Salvador Panelo, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer last week that it was his client who called the First Gentleman for a round of golf when he learned that the President and her husband were in Hong Kong . Supposedly, it was also Abalos who arranged with the ZTE officials to allow the First Couple to use the club. Abalos admitted that the ZTE officials are his golfing buddies.

Based on the young De Venecia’s testimony in September, the broadband project was at its initial stages around that time. During the course of the game, Abalos supposedly brought up the national broadband project. "And in the process of playing this match within some, I don’t know what hole it was, it was brought up that ZTE wanted to put up a National Broadband Network and was requiring a government-to-government transaction."

"What my President—Gloria Macapagal Arroyo—said [to Abalos] at that time, as quoted to me by my father when he came back to Manila merely said, "Bakit hindi mo na lang gayahin ang proposal ni Joey ngayon na walang guarantee, walang debt, walang subsidy and no risk to government."

Joey’s Amsterdam Holdings Inc. was also a bidder in the project. It was under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme, which was to be privately funded.

"As a proud father, my father immediately, when he got back to Manila at the same day, gave me a call and said that the President was not necessarily in favor of the contract but cited the benefits of my proposal," Joey said.

Questions are being raised about the golf game especially after various witnesses dragged the First Couple into the questionable broadband deal. Allegedly, the project—which was supposed to be funded under a BOT scheme—was turned into a government to government loan so that several parties, among them the First Couple—could supposedly get commissions. President Arroyo has denied the allegations.

The US$329 million broadband deal project was awarded to ZTE Corp. five months after the controversial golf game. President Arroyo even attended the contract signing in April in Boao , China . When the controversy over the project broke out, the President nullified the contract. It is supposedly overpriced by at least $130 million.

‘Back off’

It was in the same Senate hearing that Joey testified on how the First Gentleman ordered him to "back off" in a meeting in Wack Wack and Country Golf Club in March 2007. Joey took it that the First Gentleman wanted him to withdraw his bid from the broadband project to favor the Abalos-backed ZTE Corp.

But Joey still hastened to clear President Arroyo despite her husband’s involvement. "The President was not involved in any of this transaction including that monumental morning where the First Gentleman asked me to back off. So in relation to the backing off or the bullying of me by the First Gentleman, my President, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was not involved and may not know of that situation."

"My personal knowledge is that, the President is not involved in this controversy," he told the senators. "I was sure that my president, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and my father, Speaker Joe De Venecia was unaware of the intricate technological details of the NBN Project and could not stomach the fact that my president and my speaker would be dragged into a transaction that required undisclosed advances and under-the-table kickbacks to sweeten the deal."

Joey had always maintained that it was Abalos who was behind the controversial deal. "It was Chairman Abalos who was pushing for this ZTE proposal. It was also Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos who stood to receive for himself any kickbacks from the colossal overpricing of the NBN project."

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage...StoryID=118748