In search of consensus. Roxas, extreme right, with Blue Ribbon chair Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, center, and Sen. Benigno Aquino III
61 ex-Cabinet men
give GMA week to act
.Let Neri testify
.Suspend officials
BY ASHZEL HACHERO
SIXTY-ONE former Cabinet secretaries
and other high-ranking officials from the Marcos to the
Arroyo administrations yesterday asked President Arroyo
to act on her recent statement that she is against
corruption as they gave her a five-item to-do list that
they said Arroyo should accomplish within a week.
The former officials, in a press
conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, said
Arroyo should do the following:
.Order Romulo Neri to resume his
testimony before the Senate, without any restriction or
limitation. Neri, acting chairman of the Commission on
Higher Education, was the chief of the National Economic
Development Authority when the alleged overpriced
national broadband network project was being processed.
He has told a Senate investigation that he has been
offered P200 million offer by then Elections chairman
Benjamin Abalos, who is said to be brokering for the
Chinese firm ZTE Corp. which eventually got the
contract. He has declined to appear again before the
Senate, invoking "executive privilege."
Senators seek time on
compromise over Neri appearance
BY EVANGELINE DE VERA
SENATORS last night asked the Supreme
Court for time to come up with a consensus on a proposal
that Higher Education chair Romulo Neri appear before the
national broadband inquiry on the condition he not be
asked three questions earlier submitted by the Senate.
The three questions were: (1) Did the
President have any interest in the NBN project? (2) Did
the President order Neri to prioritize the NBN? and (3)
Did she order the continuance of the project despite his
allegations of bribery?
Sen. Mar Roxas, chairman of the
committee of trade, said he could not decide for the
members of his committee and of the two others - Blue
Ribbon and national defense - which are undertaking the
joint inquiry.
House asked to open own
'Spratly deal' investigation
BY WENDELL VIGILIA
REP. Roilo Golez (Ind., Parañaque) has called
for a House investigation into the "Spratly deal" between the
Philippine and Chinese governments in exchange for what he
called anomalous deals such as the $329 million national
broadband network and the $500 million NorthRail project.
"Already, this issue has been swirling with
dangerous implications in defense and security-related eGroups
(e-mail groups) and must be clarified urgently in a formal forum
such as a congressional inquiry," Golez said.
Detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV has filed
a resolution calling for an inquiry into the "Spratly deal"
which he alleged was entered into by the Arroyo administration
with China "in exchange for dirty loans."
