BY DENNIS GADIL
SEN. Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the Blue
Ribbon committee, yesterday said it is still premature for
Malacañang "to jump for joy" over the perceived acquittal of
President Arroyo in the ZTE broadband scandal.
"On the contrary, all evidence, all the trail
leads to Malacañang," Cayetano said in a radio interview.
He also denied clearing the President, saying
the Senate's ZTE inquiry is not yet completed and would resume
when a new witness emerges.
Cayetano on Tuesday was quoted as having said
that evidence gathered by the joint investigating panel is not
sufficient to directly link President Arroyo to the broadband
scandal.
Cayetano also denied that the Blue Ribbon and
the committees on trade and commerce and defense and national
security are wrapping up their joint investigation.
Cayetano said the joint committee will issue
a committee report but would issue a supplemental report if new
developments come up.
"Buo ang report (but) not final. We know
there's a direct witness out there pero hindi na kami
maghihintay na lumabas sila," he said.
Cayetano said one glaring proof that the
President was involved the broadband scandal is when she decided
to travel to Boao, China in April 2007 to attend the signing of
the contract with China's ZTE Corp despite being told by then
Planning Secretary Romulo Neri that he was "offered" P200
million by then Elections chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. in exchange
for approving the contract.
He said he is not enthusiastic about the
possibility that Neri, now acting chairman of the Commission on
Higher Education, would "tell the truth" once he attends the
Senate probe.
"We have information that magha-hardcore na
siya for the administration," he said.
Neri invoked executive privilege when asked
by senators on his conversations with President Arroyo about the
ZTE deal, saying they were "privileged communications."
Cayetano said what he is waiting for is for
other witnesses to come out, including Ruben Reyes, a member of
the so-called "Greedy Group."
The term "Greedy Group" was coined by walk-in
witness Dante Madriaga who said they represented the "interests"
of the First Couple in the NBN-ZTE contract negotiations.
Cayetano said efforts to bring in more
witnesses would continue even if a preliminary report is issued.
"Andiyan pa rin ang mga witnesses," he said.
He said reports that many deals with China are only waiting
for the go-ahead and that a new foreign contractor for the NBN
project is being sought by government further justify the
resumption of the NBN-ZTE probe.
