BY WENDELL VIGILIA

GET ready for the firestorm.

Ousted Speaker Jose de Venecia yesterday resumed his offensive against President Arroyo, saying the controversy surrounding the overpriced national broadband network project is already closing in on Malacañang.

"Every day, with new courageous witnesses coming forward with an unshakeable tale of avarice and abuse of power, the emerging picture from this jigsaw puzzle is putting Malacañang ever closer to the center of this firestorm – this hideous conspiracy to extract more than P6 billion in kickbacks from the NBN deal with the Chinese corporation ZTE," he said last night in a privilege speech.

De Venecia, who held the speakership for five terms, was ousted and replaced by Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles last February 5 amid the revelations of his son, Joey, on the anomalous $329 million deal with China’s ZTE Corp.

De Venecia supported the testimony of Senate star witness Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr. who was allegedly abducted by police and airport officials last Tuesday as part of alleged efforts to prevent him from testifying in the Senate.

For the first time, De Venecia also called on former socio-economic Secretary Romulo Neri, now acting chair of the Commission on Higher Education, to face the Senate and tell all he knows about the deal.

Neri formerly headed the House Congressional Planning and Budget Office and is a known De Venecia confidant.

De Venecia on Tuesday said he would not join calls for President Arroyo to resign but wanted her to "co-lead our call for moral revolution."

Malacañang was lukewarm to De Venecia’s call for Arroyo to be given a chance to answer the latest allegations against her administration.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said with the rally planned by administration critics, De Venecia might again change his stand.

"I suppose your impressions about those pronouncements and actions of the former speaker is as a good as mine dahil alam natin lahat nung nangyari iyun nung mga nakaraang araw. Kahapon (Tuesday) nadinig natin `give her chance.’ So napakahirap naman…Siyempre he has his own game plan in his own mind," he said.

The fresh calls for Arroyo’s resignation were triggered by Lozada’s revelations before the Senate on the NBN-ZTE deal which was cancelled by Arroyo amid allegations of anomalies.

The United Opposition and militant and civil society groups have announced plans for a series of nationwide mass actions to press for Arroyo’s resignation. The first will be held in Makati City tomorrow.

The group’s leaders met last night at the Makati Sports Club for final preparations for the rally.

Today, rally organizers are meeting with police authorities to list the "do’s and don’ts" during the rally, according to Supt. Rhodel Sermonia, spokesman of the National Capital Region Police Office which has placed on standby some 650 policemen to maintain peace and order.

RED ALERT DECLARED

The Armed Forces declared its highest state of alert in Metro Manila, citing intelligence information on plans of communist rebels to sabotage tomorrow’s rally.

Capt. Carlo Ferrer, spokesman of the military’s National Capital Region Command, said they imposed the red alert status effective 7 p.m. The NCRcom is assisting the National Capital Region Police Office in overseeing peace and order in the metropolis.

He said based on intelligence reports, the communist group will deploy members in Metro Manila to infiltrate the ranks of the rallyists. He said the New People’s Army might also "cause other destabilization activities to create confusion among the people and an atmosphere of chaos in NCR."

RESIGN RESOLUTION

Former Education secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad said former Cabinet men in the Aquino, Ramos, and Estrada administrations are being asked to sign a resolution demanding the resignation of President Arroyo.

Also being asked are Cabinet officials who have resigned from the Arroyo administration, said Abad, a member of the so-called Hyatt 10, the group of Arroyo Cabinet officials who resigned in 2005 amid the "Hello Garci" controversy.

"We’re still drafting it (resolution) and establishing contacts with other Cabinet officials," Abad said.

He said he expects about 25 former Cabinet officials to sign the resolution.

He said they are talking with Rafael Alunan and Ernest Leung, the interior secretary and finance chief, respectively, of former President Fidel Ramos.

Abad said his group is also reaching out to former Arroyo defense chief Avelino Cruz.

He said they expect to get the support of most of the Aquino, Ramos and Estrada Cabinet members, including former budget chief Salvador Enriquez.

"Marami pa kaming hinahanap. Hopefully by Friday, nakuha na namin sila," he said.

Among others who have left the Arroyo administration is former Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla.

Ermita said the Hyatt 10 was expected to ride on the NBN controversy.

"This is not new… this thing just has to be addressed properly," he said.

NO GRANDSTANDING

Senators said to be eyeing the presidency in 2010 were cool to the Arroyo resign calls.

Senate President Manuel Villar said he does not want the ongoing Senate probe on the ZTE deal to be considered "grandstanding" or politicking in preparation for 2010.

Villar also said he could not attend the Friday rally because he would be in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. It would also be in bad taste if the Senate president is seen participating in the rally because he heads the institution that is investigating anomalies in government.

Sen. Loren Legarda said she was suspending her resign call until the Senate wraps up its probe on the NBN-ZTE scandal.

Legarda said it was important for the Senate to finish its investigation to be fair to those who have been dragged into the controversy.

DE CASTRO TAINTED

Legarda also said the resign calls appear unattractive because if Arroyo is ousted or steps down, Vice President Noli de Castro will be the president.

Legarda has questioned De Castro’s election as vice president. The Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal recently dismissed her petition.

"Hindi siya maaaring constitutional successor dahil tainted ang kanyang pag-upo bilang VP at maliwanag ‘yan sa fake ERs (election returns) na evidence sa SC na naka-pending pa ang MR (motion for reconsideration). It’s definitely not him," Legarda said.

Legarda also criticized De Castro for coming out only now reportedly to talk about perceived ills in government. De Castro came out this week supporting Lozada and the continued probe on the NBN-ZTE deal.

"Bakit ngayon lang? Pulitika yan, maliwanag na pulitika. Mula pa nung 2004, ngayon na siya magsasalita so medyo too late the hero, pero hindi naman siya hero," she said.

‘CANNOT BE REACHED’

Speaker Prospero Nograles told Arroyo critics to put an end to their calls for her resignation, saying this would continue to fall on deaf ears.

"They’ll keep on calling but she’ll (Arroyo) also keep on saying `No’ so I think they should stop calling already. The subscriber cannot be reached," he said.

Nograles described the resignation calls as a "broken record" which he said "keeps on rewinding and rewinding."

"But if you notice the President, she’s not willing to resign. She is not even thinking about resigning," he said, adding he does not see any reason for the President to do so.

BLOODSHED

The chief of the Air Force warned of bloody repercussions if those pushing for a mass protest in the coming days expect another "people power" to topple the Arroyo administration.

"It will not happen. It is bloodshed," Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog said in a press conference at the Villamor Air Base.

Cadungog said an example of a bloody incident was the "Malacañang siege" of May 2001 staged by Estrada supporters, when scores were injured.

"I was there inside Malacañang during May 1, the supposed Malacañang siege. I was there giving instructions about what to do," Cadungog said.

"It’s bloodshed. Do we want that to happen (again)?"

Cadungog made the statements after he was asked if he had conducted a loyalty check among his officers.

Cadungog said a loyalty check is not necessary because the military had learned its lessons in Edsa 1, where they were initially hailed as heroes only to be demonized in subsequent retelling of what really happened at Edsa while trying to oust a dictator. "We’ve been there, done that."

Cadungog said after various recollections of Edsa 1, the military’s image as a savior eroded over time, until they became the "black sheep" in the eyes of the people.

"When we won at Edsa 1, we were hailed as saviors, but after that we became black sheep. So, now, are we going to continue along that path?" – With Jocelyn Montemayor, Dennis Gadil, Jay Chua Victor Reyes and Raymond Africa