Senate withdraws security for witnesses in ZTE, 'Garci,' fertilizer scandals

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate has withdrawn the four security escorts assigned to national broadband network (NBN)-ZTE witness Dante Madriaga who alleged that the $200-million contract was overpriced and that half of it would have been divided between a Filipino group and a Chinese group.

Upon instructions of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate sergeant-at-arms Jose Balajadia said the number of the Senate security escorts of NBN-ZTE main whistleblower Rodolfo Lozada Jr. was also reduced by half.

Balajadia said the regular security assessments on the two witnesses showed that there is no more threat against the life of Madriaga, while that of Lozada “is now different.”

Lozada reportedly previously had eight security escorts round-the-clock.

News reports also said Lozada brought along his security escorts when he played golf at Tagaytay Highlands, which the Senate President said is exposing himself further to danger.

Madriaga went to the Senate media yesterday to dramatize his and other Senate witnesses’ gripes against the Senate for not taking care of witnesses like him.

Former T/Sgt. Vidal Doble and Jose Barredo, witnesses in the “Hello, Garci” controversy and the P728-million fertilizer scam, respectively, accompanied Madriaga.

Madriaga said he felt like a “used car” which the Senate abandoned after it was used.

He said he needed to come out at the height of the investigation to reveal the truth but never expected that he would be left hanging.

Asked what he would advise would-be whistle blowers, Madriaga said they should think twice.

“Ang payo ko lang listen to your conscience, tingnan mo rin kung ano mangyayari lalo na kung maraming anak kagaya ko dahil di lang ikaw madadamay pati anak mo (My advice is listen to your conscience. Consider what would happen to those who have many children, like me, because they would also be affected),” Madriaga said.

Balajadia said the decision to withdraw security from Madriaga came after a regular assessment.

“Regularly, we come up with a security assessment so that we may know what to do or support or whatever the people we are guarding.”

“I asked my people to make a security assessment. Is Madriaga still in danger? Is Lozada still in danger?” he said in Filipino.

“So they came up with an assessment which led me to remove Madriaga’s people (security) and then reduced Lozada’s (security), upon the instruction of the Senate President,” Balajadia said.

Balajadia noted that Madriaga is “not the main actor” in the NBN deal, compared to Lozada who linked members of the First Family to the deal.

Madriaga, a former consultant of ZTE on the NBN deal, said of the alleged $200-million contract overprice, half would have gone to a “Filipino group” and the other to the “Chinese group.”

Madriaga identified members of the “Greedy Group Plus Plus” as resigned Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos, Ruben Reyes, Leo San Miguel, retired General Quirino de la Torre, and the “First Couple.” He called Abalos, Reyes, San Miguel and De la Torre the “Gang of Four.”

“From the very beginning, I knew that they (First Couple) were part of it. My boss (Leo San Miguel, a former owner of Home Cable) said that ‘we are protected, nothing will block us,”’ Madriaga said at the Senate hearing.

He said both San Miguel and ZTE Corp.’s Fan Yang, who disbursed the money, gave the information to him.

The Senate witness said ZTE had advanced $41 million to the Filipino group in three installments.

The first tranche was $1 million released in August 2006 (for representation); the second was $10 million in March 2007 as success fee after the National Economic and Development Authority approved the project; and the third was $30 million after President Arroyo attended the signing of the contract in Boao, China, and this amount was to be used “in aid of elections” or support for administration candidates in the May 2007 national elections.

Madriaga said the $100 million that would have gone to the Filipino group was to be equally divided between Abalos’ group and the First Couple.