Senators chide ZTE officials for snub

MANILA, Philippines – Three senators chided yesterday officials of Chinese firm ZTE Corp. for their supposed arrogance in refusing to attend Senate hearings on the controversial $329-million national broadband network deal.

Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan has warned ZTE officials against ignoring summons from the Senate.

“The Senate cannot and will not be cowed by threats or hardball tactics coming from persons or foreign or local corporations,” he said.

Pangilinan rebuked ZTE for insisting that it cannot allow itself to be dragged into any “political circus” by sending a representative to the Senate to testify on the controversial national broadband network deal.

“We warn all those who refuse without justifiable grounds to cooperate with the Senate as it conducts its hearings in aid of legislation that we will not hesitate to exercise our constitutional powers in order to fulfill our constitutional responsibilities,” he said.

Sen. Richard Gordon also hit ZTE after its officials insisted they would not allow themselves to be part of a political circus.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said the refusal of ZTE to present its side in the $329-million NBN deal is not contributing to the resolution of the controversy. – Christina Mendez, Artemio Dumlao