It may seem like flogging a dead horse, and the administration insists the controversy ended with the scrapping of the deal. But the story about the $329-millon broadband deal between the government and Chinese firm ZTE Corp. refuses to die because the whole truth continues to elude the nation. Thanks in part to a compliant Supreme Court, certain key pieces that are missing in this puzzle have been buried in the decision of former socio-economic planning secretary Romulo Neri, now head of the Social Security System, to keep his mouth shut.
Part of the blame also goes to some of the other players in this scandal. They could have provided the missing details, giving the nation a clearer picture of what happened, and making it easier to prosecute those who may be guilty of massive corruption. But they chose to remain silent along with Neri, apparently hoping someone else would do the work.
This week the nation may finally hear what Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. has to say about the broadband deal, which is the principal case cited in an impeachment complaint filed with the House of Representatives by his son and namesake, Joey de Venecia, against President Arroyo. The ousted House speaker has long been suspected of having first-hand knowledge of the events that led to the signing of the broadband deal in Boao, China by ZTE officials and Transport and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza in the presence of President Arroyo. But for the past three years the elder De Venecia has chosen to remain silent.
After he was ousted as speaker last year in a coup by the President’s allies, De Venecia kept threatening to expose what he knew about anomalies in the Arroyo administration. The public is still waiting for his statements to go beyond empty threats. His authorized biography has provided details about the ZTE deal that could be damning particularly if these were supported by documents or other testimonies that could stand in court. In finally revealing what he knows, De Venecia should find redemption in the idea that truth is not a political bargaining chip. He owes it to the nation to tell his story.