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By Jomar Canlas, Reporter
Ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said
Sunday he will testify at the Senate’s investigation into the
controversial $330-million broadband deal.
A report on the national television network GMA
7 quoted Rep. de Venecia of Pangasinan as saying he will divulge all
the information he has about the allegedly anomalous transaction.
He was ousted as speaker of the House of
Representatives in a move led by the two sons of President Gloria
Arroyo in the Lower Chamber. Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles succeeded
de Venecia as speaker.
Before that, de Venecia’s son and namesake,
Jose “Joey” de Venecia 3rd, had been one of the key witnesses in
the Senate probe, that linked the President’s husband and a key
ally, former Chairman Benjamin Abalos of the Commission on
Elections, to the deal. They denied the allegations of the younger
de Venecia, who was a losing proponent in the broadband deal that
was awarded to China’s ZTE Corp.
Before he was voted out, de Venecia made a
privileged speech criticizing the First Family for being allegedly
involved in several questionable transactions. He said that at the
right time and place, he will talk about the ZTE deal and other
supposedly anomalous deals.
Recently, de Venecia’s wife Gina said her
husband will eventually shed light about the said contract.
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