Palace not worried about JDV testimony on ZTE
By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:08:00 05/17/2008
Filed Under: Politics, Graft & Corruption, NBN deal
MANILA -- Malacañang is not worried about the possible appearance of former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. in the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's inquiry into the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Anthony Golez even claimed on Saturday that the Palace was confident its erstwhile ally would reveal the "whole truth" behind the NBN project scrapped by President Macapagal-Arroyo following allegations of bribery involving high government officials.
When Ms Arroyo canceled the project in October 2007, during a visit to China, she said she was disappointed that the NBN project awarded to ZTE Corp. of China was not continued, insisting it would bring P3 billion a year in savings on telecommunications expenditure by the government.
"Wala kaming dahilan para matakot (We have no reason to be afraid of his testimony)," said Golez in an interview over state-run dzRB.
"We always hope that those who are involved in sowing intrigues, rumors and maliciously interpreting facts would heed the call of our people that these present times are crucial to halt the nonsensical politickings in the country and instead be bearers of solutions to our country's more urgent woes," he said, adding: "We have a time and place for untimely politics, and we urge those who want luster to shine themselves in 2010 instead."
Golez expected the Pangasinan representative to confirm that there's no "malice" behind Ms Arroyo's day-long trip on Nov. 2, 2006 to Shenzhen, China, which included a game of golf at the Shenzhen Golf Club course and a lunch meeting with ZTE officials at the company headquarters.
"If JDV (De Venecia) will only tell the truth, then we will know the truth that there should be no malice (imputed on) the President, against the government," said Golez. "What we heard were just malicious arguments and malicious statements that they met and played golf."
Golez said the pictures released by Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico do not prove allegations that "there is an illegal transaction that has happened."
"All these are speculations and malicious interpretations of pictures and events that happened," he said.
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