BY JP LOPEZ

ACTING Higher Education chair Romulo Neri described President Arroyo as "evil" when he met Senators Panfilo Lacson and Jamby Madrigal in Makati City last December 7, ZTE star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. said yesterday .

"He called Presidente GMA (Gloria Arroyo). She is evil. Evil po," Lozada told the Senate inquiry on the NBN-ZTE deal.

Neri, in a text message, said he does not remember calling the President as "an evil person."

"The meeting was so long time ago," he said.

In a press conference in Malacañang, Neri also said he could not remember calling the President as "evil."

"I know Jun (Lozada) is very sincere with me and cares for me but I really cannot recall that statement. I don’t remember. I cannot. Up to now, I’m trying to recall, but I can’t remember that statement," Neri said.

But Neri confirmed he met with Lozada, Lacson and Madrigal last December at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).

Lozada declined to provide other details of the meeting, saying he faces libel suits and had created many enemies.

He said Neri was then very much frustrated over the rampant corruption in government which the latter said was controlled by "oligarchs."

Lozada said the meeting took place at the AIM building in Makati City.

Lacson said the meeting took place Dec. 7, 2007.

Lozada said according to Neri’s "ecosystem of corruption" in the Philippines, the AFP was on top of the government agencies involved in corruption.

The other agencies were the PNP, the Department of Budget Management, and the National Economic Development Authority, of which Neri was director general during negotiations for the NBN project.

Lacson and other senators repeated their calls for Neri "to face the light" and tell the truth.

"We want him (Neri) to cross, nasa crossroads, darating sa buhay ng tao, may crossroads. Kung siya tatawid, magsasabi ng katotohanan, haharapin ang liwanag, di ba we are keeping him away from he company of what he called an evil person?" Lacson said.

He said the oligarchs fund the politicians during elections and could even circumvent the laws.

"Mabuting tao si Neri sa bagay na ganoon, galit siya sa negosyanteng nagpapahirap sa bayan," he said.

When Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile asked Lacson to corroborate the statement of Lozada, as he was also in the meeting, Lacson said he is willing but his statement should be taken under oath.

"I already stated up to this very moment he’s very truthful… he’s (Lozada) under oath, he is the best person," he said.

Lacson moved to invite in the next Senate hearing Gary Jimenez and former presidential political adviser Angelito Banayo. Both are expected to corroborate the testimony of Lozada.

Banayo is Lacson’s political strategist. Jimenez is chief of staff of Madrigal.

Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo said his mother is not "evil" and is in fact a "good person."

He said if Neri had indeed described the President as "evil," "that’s his opinion. You can’t begrudge him for that. You can’t control other people’s emotions."

Mikey ridiculed the protesters in Makati and in La Salle, Greenhills over the weekend demanding the President’s resignation.

"More people receive her in the provinces than those in La Salle and in Makati combined. Those who went there were old faces," he said. – With Ashzel Hachero, Regina Bengco and Wendell Vigilia