MANILA, Philippines?Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can expect company when she takes the witness stand at the Sandiganbayan for the graft trial of a member of her former Cabinet.

The anti-graft court?s Fifth Division also subpoenaed Rodolfo ?Jun? Lozada and Jose de Venecia III to appear on the same dates as Arroyo: Oct. 13, Oct. 28 and Nov. 11.

All three are among the prosecution?s witnesses in the case filed against former National Economic Development Authority chief Romulo Neri in relation to the government?s scuttled National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China?s ZTE Corp.

Lozada, a technical consultant to the $329-million NBN project, had spoken of the supposed overpricing of the contract and alleged that former elections chief Benjamin Abalos was supposed to get a $130-million commission from the deal.

De Venecia, on the other hand, was a losing bidder for the project. He had alleged that former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo had told him to back off from the undertaking.

Sandiganbayan Sheriff Ed Urieta said he is scheduled to meet with Fifth Division chair Justice Roland Jurado on Thursday to discuss security arrangements for the next hearing on Neri?s case.

The Ombudsman had charged Neri with violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly talking with Abalos about the NBN project even though the latter was not supposed to be involved with it. Neri had also supposedly met with ZTE officials when the project was being assessed.

Neri had pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The Ombudsman had cleared Arroyo and her husband of any liability in connection with the project.

Prosecutors intend to question Arroyo, who is now a Pampanga representative, about Neri?s participation in the NBN deal with China?s ZTE Corp.

Earlier, Neri kept mum and invoked executive privilege when grilled by the Senate on then President Arroyo?s involvement with the NBN project.