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Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. is assured
of a sanctuary if he decides to speak up and testify on what he
knows about the botched $329-million national broadband project.
The Association of Major
Religious Superiors of the Philippines said in a statement Friday
that they are prepared to provide refuge for the former Speaker as
soon as he decides to testify on the controversial project.
“We would welcome JDV’s [Jose
de Venecia] coming out and telling us what is the truth regarding
the deal,” said Sister Mary John Mananzan, the association’s
head, in a press conference in Makati City.
The religious group has already
taken into custody Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr., who earlier
testified at the Senate hearings on the alleged anomalies in the
project.
At the same time, Mananzan
together with Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Chairwoman Carol Araullo
and Fr. Joe Dizon strongly denied participation in any supposed plot
where de Venecia would be projected as a hero, as alleged in a paid
ad that appeared Friday.
The ad that featured relatively
unknown names and groups as signatories added that “planning
sessions” were being done with Mananzan, Araullo and former Social
Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman in attendance.
Likewise, it alleged that the
“planners” met with Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Oscar Cruz last
weekend and recently with Caloocan bishop Deogracias Iñiguez Jr,
“to project that the religious sector is behind de Venecia.”
Mananzan categorically denied
having any knowledge nor attending any “planning sessions.”
Dizon confirmed that there are plans to stage a series of mass
actions against the Arroyo administration, but said there’s
nothing secret about it as described in the ad.
--Jayson Cruz Luna
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