Malacañang execs
take hot seat today
Abalos threatensto sue Lozada
BY JOCELYN
MONTEMAYOR
GOVERNMENT officials will have their
chance to rebut the claims by ZTE star witness Rodolfo
Noel Lozada Jr. last Friday that he was abducted after
Malacañang yesterday gave its consent for them to attend
the Senate hearing on the $329-million NBN-ZTE deal.
"Unlike Mr. Lozada who is only armed
with hearsay and subjective testimonies, the officials
will be basing their statements from objective facts and
testimonies which can stand in any court," said deputy
presidential spokesman Anthony Golez.
The officials are acting Higher
Education chair Romulo Neri, Environment Secretary Jose
Atienza Jr., Michael Defensor, former presidential chief
of staff; Manuel Gaite, deputy executive secretary for
legal affairs; Remedios Poblador, Malacañang secretary
for special concerns; PNP chief Avelino Razon, and Angel
Atutubo, NAIA assistant general manager for security.
CBCP: Lozada may yet save
country from shady deals
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) yesterday hailed Rodolfo Noel Lozada
Jr. for his decision to testify in the Senate's
investigation on the $329 million national broadband
network (NBN) project despite tremendous pressure and
death threats.
"The public confession may be
considered a providential event that may yet save our
country from being hostage to scandalous and shady
government deals that offend the common good and serve
only personal, family and group interests," said the
statement signed by CBCP president Archbishop Angel
Lagdameo.
"It was courageous to come out in the
open to 'publicly confess' the high level of graft and
corruption that they knew all along and 'somehow' have
been involved in. But it was also damaging to their
political career as well as to significant others who are
in high governance. Truth hurts. Truth liberates. But the
truth must be served. The truth will set our country
free," it said.
SEN. Mar Roxas II and the Federation of
Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.,
yesterday lashed at chief presidential counsel Sergio Apostol
for his racial slur on ZTE star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.
Apostol, in a statement issued through Press
Secretary Ignacio Bunye, apologized to the Chinese community.
"This refers to my statement uttered in an
emotional outburst in reaction to Mr. Jun Lozada's implication
of the First Gentleman to an alleged crime based on what is, at
best, hearsay evidence. Be that as it may, I sincerely apologize
to our hard working and law abiding Filipino Chinese who may
have been offended by my unintended slur," he said.
