Palace rebuffs ex-government execs

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang officials rebuffed yesterday the demands of former government officials for President Arroyo to ferret out the truth regarding the scrapped $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal with ZTE Corp. of China, saying that no one can dictate on the President.

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said that the more than 80 former Cabinet secretaries and senior government officials from the administrations of Ferdinand Marcos to the present “know very well that one cannot dictate to any president.”

He said that there are developments with regard to the five demands made by the group calling themselves the Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO).

On the demand that Commission on Higher Education Chairman Romulo Neri resume his testimony at the Senate without any restrictions or limitations, the Supreme Court has taken up the petition filed by Neri on the matter of executive privilege and even Chief Justice Reynato Puno has come out with a compromise on the issue.

Neri has reportedly agreed to appear in the next hearing of the Senate on the NBN-ZTE deal and if the recommendation of Puno is followed, he could still invoke executive privilege on some questions and then refer all these questions to the Supreme Court.

The FSGO also demanded that the President suspend Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Assistant Secretary Lorenzo Formoso III, both of whom were involved in the NBN-ZTE deal.

Golez said that the Office of the Ombudsman is already investigating the deal and the two officials would be covered by the investigation.

The group also wanted the suspension of Environment Secretary Jose Atienza, Philippine National Police chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr., Deputy Executive Secretary Manuel Gaite, Assistant Airport General Manager Angel Atutubo, Police Superintendent Paul Mascariñas and all the other personalities who allegedly abducted Senate witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. and tried to prevent him from testifying at the Senate.

Golez reiterated the stand of the government that no kidnapping or abduction took place as alleged by Lozada.

FSGO said that the President should order the release of all the documents related to the NBN-ZTE deal, including the minutes of the National Economic and Development Authority meetings on the issue.

“On the documents, all documents pertaining to NBN-ZTE have long been submitted to the Senate,” Golez said.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said that the “ex-men” should be more circumspect about their calls for suspensions.

“Like them, we assume that all acts of the gentlemen in question were done with presumption of regularity, complaints have been filed and investigations are being conducted, so let’s give them the chance to defend themselves and if there should be any findings, the appropriate action can be considered by the President,” Fajardo said.

Fajardo said that Malacañang would respect whatever ruling the Supreme Court comes up with on the petition filed by Neri and appealed to the Senate to show the same respect.