Abalos: I just wanted to lure investments to RP

MANILA, Philippines - Former elections chief Benjamin Abalos maintained there is nothing wrong or illegal in facilitating a friendship with ZTE officials that he said was “borne by a common love for golf.”

Abalos admitted his relationship with ZTE officials was made with the realization that his golfing buddies are potential investors.

The former elections chief made the statement in the nine-page motion for reconsideration he submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday.

Instead of asking for a review of the case, Abalos turned the tables on the Ombudsman, saying it was unfair and had no basis for indicting him in the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) scandal.

According to Abalos, the only fault he had was to “facilitate” the ZTE’s earnest intention to invest in the country.

“Surely, there is nothing unlawful, much less condemnable, in … assisting in the realization of a potential investment which would not only spur the economy but will also create jobs,” Abalos said.

“Thereafter, it was a matter of maintaining a friendship borne by a common love for golf that kept herein respondent in touch with ZTE and its officials,” he added.

Abalos also described the indictment against him by the Ombudsman as unfair.

Through his lawyer Gabriel Villareal, the former elections chief said the Ombudsman’s investigating panel did not even specify the illegal act he supposedly committed.

Abalos, a lawyer by profession, said the Ombudsman did not even consider his explanations in so far as his participation in meetings with ZTE officials are concerned.

Abalos said he had “extensively explained the reasons, circumstances, and motivations that attended his involvement with the NBN project.”

“The investigating panel was fully apprised thereof and have in fact taken cognizance of herein respondent’s submissions in the earlier parts of the Joint Resolution,” Abalos said in his motion for reconsideration seeking a reversal of the Ombudsman’s Aug. 27, 2009 ruling.

Abalos maintained he “had no inordinate and extensive interest in the NBN project.”

He said the Ombudsman was not clear as to criminal acts he made but “can only surmise” that the investigating panel was referring to the testimonies of former Socio-Economic Secretary Romulo Neri and former government consultant-turned witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr.

Lozada had become a key witness in the scandal, along with businessman Jose de Venecia III when they implicated President Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, during the inquiry by the Senate.

Abalos has been accused of fronting for and facilitating the approval of the NBN contract with ZTE with a promise of a commission in brokering the deal.

Abalos was forced to resign from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) following the allegations.

Abalos, however, said the testimonies based on De Venecia III’s claim that he was offered $10 million to back out of the NBN project are “simply incredible” and lacking in material details like date and time.

“Worse, the claims of all three personalities, all of whom are associated with each other, are uncorroborated and unverifiable,” Abalos said.

Abalos said the investigating panel’s remark that he demonstrated pecuniary interest in the business transaction is “unkind and baseless.”

“There is neither basis nor factual premise for that finding,” he pointed out.

Abalos also slammed critics who portrayed him as “peddler of undue patronage.”

In finding probable cause to indict him for corruption of public officials, Abalos said the Ombudsman had been “grasping at straws” just “to satisfy a perceived public clamor.”    

“Neri’s statement has been widely discredited and appears to have been purposely concocted to advance the cause of respondent De Venecia III and his cohorts, respondent Neri included, to whip up a storm of public anger to bear upon, so as to scuttle the NBN project that they failed to bag,” Abalos said.