Who’s next?

Ask most people who know Benjamin Abalos personally and they will tell you that he is such a likeable man, the type who can’t seem to hold a grudge for very long, someone who seems to have no mean bone in his body — a rare virtue in this land of spite.

Being likeable and nice doesn’t necessarily mean being an honest public servant. Deposed President Joseph Estrada is one of the nicest, most likeable individuals. So was the late Ferdinand Marcos.

Being likeable and nice doesn’t necessarily mean being truthful. As far as Abalos is concerned, he has already told the truth when he faced the Senate, and he has nothing more to reveal. He looked genuinely appalled as he listened at the Senate to the testimony of acting Commission on Higher Education Chairman Romulo Neri. Of course no one could tell if Abalos was appalled because he had been maligned by a liar or because his sins had been laid bare.

Unlike Neri, who reportedly threw up twice in the course of his testimony where he invoked executive privilege to withhold crucial information from the public, Abalos did not appear to be burdened by the weight of being the keeper of state secrets. And there are people, possibly including his friend, former President Corazon Aquino, who are still hoping that he will be this regime’s Luis “Chavit” Singson.

Being likeable and nice in this country, however, also includes loyalty to friends, protecting them in moments of need and repaying debts of gratitude. This society believes there is a special place in hell for rats.

The anti-Arroyo forces who had hoped Neri would be their knight in shining armor are in for another disappointment. In the national broadband network scandal, the buck stops with the resigned chairman of the Commission on Elections.

Abalos looks determined to keep it that way. “I know nothing,” he said yesterday, adding it was “stupid” to suggest that he could turn state witness. 

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That determination, anti-administration forces hope, may be shaken as government prosecutors go after him. Yesterday the Office of the Ombudsman said it had started its investigation of a criminal complaint against Abalos in connection with the $329-million broadband deal with Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

In China, President Arroyo informed her counterpart Hu Jintao that the deal had been scrapped for good.

If certain quarters are to be believed, several clueless investors have just lost a lot of money. As those equally clueless Koreans who tried to put up a spa on Taal Volcano learned belatedly, in this country, the deal is always no return, no exchange.

The scrapping of the ZTE deal, before the Supreme Court rules on its validity, will not stop the investigation of Abalos for corruption. Abalos has launched his counter-attack, filing perjury complaints against Neri and his other accuser, businessman Joey de Venecia.

As Abalos has pointed out, the accusations against him are unsubstantiated. It’s his word against his accusers.

Neri himself reportedly lamented, when pressed to tell what he knew, that his story lacked corroborating evidence and it would simply be a case of he said, she said. But then Neri later repeated his story under oath, accusing Abalos of attempted bribery, though falling short of detailing the role played by President Arroyo in a questionable deal. The buck, as far as Neri is concerned, can stop at Abalos’ doorstep.

Yesterday Abalos fumed that people believe a “drug addict” more than a chairman. Okay, even nice and likeable people can get mad. But he had no ugly words to say about Neri.

The fact that one of the two principal accusers of Abalos is working for the administration, and is even perceived to be protecting the First Couple, lends credibility to the accusations hurled by both Neri and Joey de Venecia against the resigned Comelec chief.

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Disparaging the younger De Venecia for his drug use has failed to shake the credibility of his story.

As some of his detractors point out, he came out with his story because he got double-crossed in a multimillion-dollar deal. Even if this were true, it would not diminish the impact of his accusations against Abalos.

De Venecia has accused First Gentleman Mike Arroyo of interfering in the deal — a story denied by the President’s husband yesterday. It’s one man’s word against the other.

If the administration cannot shake Joey de Venecia’s credibility, they can go after the father. Don’t get mad, get even. After Abalos, someone else has to go, and it isn’t going to be President Arroyo.

The word from the House of Representatives yesterday was that the knives were again out for Joey’s dad the Speaker, who retained the top House post by the skin of his teeth amid a fierce challenge mounted by forces backed by Malacañang.

This time JDV is being taken to task for using his position to win a government contract for his son and namesake. A graft case could be in the offing.

The Speaker’s allies have warned that his ouster could mean the impeachment of the President.

Bystanders in this battle of former allies can only hope that everyone who is liable will be made to account for wrongdoing. Regardless of how high up the blame goes.