MANILA, Philippines--The Supreme Court's decision to allow former socioeconomic Romulo Neri exercise executive privilege to avoid answering specific questions in the Senate inquiry into the national broadband network deal has hindered the public's search for truth, the United Opposition (UNO) said Thursday.

"The [high court]'s act is a blow to democracy. What can we expect? Most of GMA's appointees came outside of the judiciary. Most appointments are considered political, they are beholden to her," said UNO leader San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito, son of former president Joseph Estrada, in a statement.

The statement noted that Justice Antonio Carpio, one of six dissenting magistrates, stressed that "the invocation of executive privilege on the three questions dwelling on a bribery scandal is clearly unjustified and void. Public office is a public trust and not a shield to cover up wrongdoing.”

Neri was chief of the National Economic Development Authority at the time the $329-million telecommunications contract with China's ZTE Corp. was approved.

During a Senate hearing, Neri claimed former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., who supposedly brokered the deal, offered him P200 million to endorse the deal.

Neri said he informed Arroyo about the supposed bribe but refused to reveal how she reacted or if she ordered him to do anything.

"While we have to abide with the majority opinion as it forms part of the law of the land, nonetheless a simple reading of [Chief] Justice [Reynato] Puno's dissent -- all 120 pages of it -- will show how sound the arguments were in denying Neri's claim of executive privilege. But even beyond the differences in opinions, the net effect is simply that the Filipino's search for truth on the ZTE deal has become more difficult," lawyer Adel Tamano, UNO spokesman said in the same statement.

The statement also noted how Puno did not give credence to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita's claim that the country’s relationship with China might be at stake if Neri is forced to answer questions on his conversation with Arroyo.