MANILA, Philippines?Res ipsa loquitur, the thing speaks for itself.

The Latin adage in law will clear former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Benjamin Abalos in the bribery case he is facing, said his lawyer, Salvador Panelo.

Panelo said yesterday the same documents submitted by his accusers to prove bribery will bear witness to Abalos? innocence.

?Those same documents isasampal namin sa mga mukha nila (we?ll slap in their faces). Instead of showing my client?s guilt, they will prove his innocence,? Panelo said.

Abalos is charged with violating Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code, or Corruption of Public Officials, in Branch 59 of the Mandaluyong Metropolitan Trial Court.

The case stemmed from the Senate testimony of former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri three years ago where he quoted Abalos as telling him, ?Sec, may 200 ka dito (Sec, you have 200 here), in connection with the approval of the National Broadband Network deal with ZTE Corp. of China.

Abalos said Neri must have assumed he meant P200 million.

?I?ve been a lawyer for 40 years. This is the first time that a case was filed on a mere assumption. My accuser himself said ?siguro? (maybe)? ?siguro 200.? And on that assumption alone I?m being brought to court?? Abalos said.

The NBN-ZTE deal would have digitally wired the government bureaucracy throughout the country. Its cost had ballooned to $329 million when then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered it scrapped after it generated allegations of corruption that reached then First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo himself.

It was a reunion of sorts in court yesterday for the other characters in the controversy.

Aside from Abalos and Neri, whistle-blowers Joey de Venecia and Rodolfo Lozada Jr. appeared at the pre-trial conference of the case.

The four had not been in the same room since the Senate conducted hearings on the controversy in 2007.

Abalos said he was confident the ?truth will out? in the trial.

He said he didn?t begrudge anyone anything and was in fact cordial to the others when he saw them in court.