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By Efren L. Danao Senior
Reporter
A new witness with insider
knowledge on the sharing of the alleged $41-million advances on the
national broadband network project will appear at the continuation
of the Senate inquiry into the project this Tuesday, Sen. Panfilo
Lacson said Thursday.
Lacson said the new witness knows
more about this aspect of the broadband controversy than former
socio-economic planning Secretary Romulo Neri or witness Dante
Madriaga. He declined to identify the new witness “for security
reasons.”
Madriaga had told the Senate
blue-ribbon committee headed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano that
China’s telecommunications giant ZTE Corp. gave $41 million in
advances to a “greedy group” for the approval of the national
broadband deal. He said he learned of the advances, allegedly
given in three tranches, from his immediate boss Leo San Miguel.
Madriaga identified San Miguel as
a member of the greedy group that included former Chairman Benjamin
Abalos Sr. of the Commission on Elections, businessman Ruben Reyes,
and retired police Gen. Quirino de la Torre. Madriaga claims $30
million of the advances was used to finance the campaign of the
administration candidates in the 2007 elections.
Cayetano said he had issued
subpoenas for the appearance of de la Torre, Reyes and San Miguel,
along with one Jimmy Paz, said to be a confidant of Abalos. Earlier,
Madriaga said de la Torre and Reyes left the country when the broadband
controversy blew up.
The blue-ribbon committee had
also issued invitations to Yu Yong, ZTE Corp. chairman, and Fan
Yang, the commercial attaché of the Chinese Embassy in the
Philippines. Yong had already returned to China with the
cancellation of the broadband contract awarded to the company.
Cayetano said the hearing should
have been held this Friday with Neri as witness had the Senate
agreed to compromise solution offered by the Supreme Court.
Senate President Manuel Villar
Jr. said it is possible for the blue ribbon to conclude its hearings
and come up with a report even if Neri does not testify.
“If somebody comes out who
knows more about the project than Neri, then the blue ribbon can
make a decision already. It really depends on the committee,”
Villar added.
He is also pressing for the
attendance of police, aviation security, and Presidential Security
Group officials who met witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. at the
international airport upon his arrival from Hong Kong last month.
“It is important that we hear
their side on the reported kidnapping of Mr. Lozada,” Villar said.
The police, aviation security,
and security group officials were invited to the last hearing but
they begged off.
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