Category: NBN/ZTE

Why is Aquino not helping Jun Lozada

Published by Ellen on February 7, 2013

Lozada’s friends wonder if Aquino’s attitude could have something to do with Lozada not consenting to his request in February 2008 for him (Aquino, who was then senator) to fetch the former in Hongkong, where he was told by then Environment Secretary Lito Atienza to hide so he could not testify in the Senate investigation of the NBN/ZTE deal.

It would have been a chance for Aquino, who had a lackluster record as senator, to shine.

Jun Lozada, Cory Aquino and the nuns — President Cory Aquino spearheaded the “Mass for Truth and Accountability” in support of Jun Lozada in 2008.

While waiting for the arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division to be served to Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the government’s star witness in the NBN/ZTE plunder case against Gloria Arroyo, members of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines wrote Police Chief Alan Purisima requesting, among others,to make sure that “no untoward incident” would happen.

The nuns must be thinking of last month’s incident in Batangas when Fernando Morales , allegedly linked with Vic Siman who was among those killed in the Atimonan massacre, was killed while policemen were serving his arrest warrant for illegal possession of firearms.

Morales was in his underwear and was dragged out of his house at 1:30 a.m.

The arrest warrant for Lozada had nothing to do with NBN/ZTE. It’s for his alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly awarding the leasehold right of a 6,599 hectare land to his brother Jose Orlando Lozada when he was still president of the Philippine Forest Corporation, a government-owned corporation.

Lozada finds no support from Aquino

Published by Ellen on February 5, 2013

Jun Lozada in a Palm Sunday mass — Jun Lozada attending a Palm Sunday mass while under the protection of the nuns.

For Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, star witness in NBN/ZTE deal, one of the biggest scandals in the Arroyo administration, it’s like he and his family are back to where they were exactly five years ago when he was abducted by police officers and he had to seek refuge with the nuns.

They were informed by members of the Pasig City Police that the Sandigan Bayan has issued an arrest warrant for Lozada in connection with a graft case filed by Erwin Santos, the current president of Philippines Forest Corporation , and Arroyo’s hatchet man when the former was a resource person in the Senate investigation on the anomalous $320 million telecommunications.

It’s disturbing. So alarming that today (Feb.6), members of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines are meeting with some members of the Aquino cabinet at the Department of Justice at 9 a.m.on Lozada’s situation. Would Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda be there? Lacierda was the lawyer of Lozada when they were still working to bring down Gloria Arroyo.

Si Abalos ang konek sa “Hello Garci” at NBN/ZTE

Published by Ellen on January 3, 2012

Pangalawang kaso ng graft laban kay dating Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos kaugnay sa ma-anomalyang NBN/ZTE ang isinampa sa kanyan ng Ombudsman kasama si Gloria Arroyo.

Una ay yung isinampa ng Akbayan noong 2007. Paglabag din ng Republic Act 3019, ang Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Hindi isinama ng Ombudsman na si Merceditas Gutierrez noon si Arroyo.

Sa kasong isinampa ng bagong Ombudsman, Conchita Carpio-Morales kaugnay ng anomalya tungkol sa NBN/ZTE bago matapos ang 2011 laban kay Arroyo, kasama din si Abalos.

Sabi ni Ombudsman Spokesman Asryman Rafanan ibang bahagi daw R.A. 3019 ang tinumbok ng bagong kaso laban kay Abalos.

Nakakulong si Abalos ngayon kaugnay sa kasong electoral sabotage noong 2007 na eleksyun na isinampa ng Comelec.

What about Ruben Reyes, Leo San Miguel et al?

Published by Ellen on January 1, 2012

Madriaga, witness on state corruption in the Philippines, takes his oath during a senate inquiry in Manila — Dante Madriaga. Thanks to Reuters

Aside from Gloria Arroyo, only three other persons were included in the graft charges filed by the Ombudsman with the Sandiganbayan last week in connection with the grossly overpriced NBN/ZTE deal.

They were Gloria Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, former chairman of the Commission on Elections Benjamin Abalos, and Leandro Mendoza, former secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications.

During the Senate hearings on the controversial deal, there were several names mentioned who have allegedly participated in the attempt to con the Filipino people of P14.8 BILLION (peso equivalent of $329 million, the cost of the project at the exchange rate of P45 to US1).

Ombudsman files graft charges vs Arroyo; to be raffled Jan.2

Published by Ellen on December 29, 2011

From abs-cbnNEWS.com

The graft charges filed by the Ombudsman against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo before the Sandiganbayan will be raffled off next week.
“The Office of the Ombudsman has requested a special raffle today but it was disapproved by the presiding judge. Instead, it was rescheduled for January 2, Monday,” said Sandiganbayan spokesperson Renato Bocar.

The case stems from the graft complaint filed by Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño in connection with the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corporation.

“There were 3 criminal information which were filed against the former president. One was for violation of Section 3-G of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. This is for entering into a contract, the NBN-ZTE contract, which is manifestly disadvantageous to the government of the Philippines,” Bocar said.

Senate indicators

Published by Ellen on March 10, 2011

When it rains, it pours.

After years of being protected by Gloria Arroyo’s Malacañang, House of Representatives,and Supreme Court, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez is getting it from all directions.

Click on related documents:

Executive Summary Blue Ribbon report on Carlos Garcia Plea BargainAgreement

BLUE RIBBONCOMMITTEE REPORT Garcia plea bargain

Last Monday, the House Justice committee voted that there’s probable cause to impeach Gutierrez for betrayal of public trust on five cases at the same time that the Supreme Court denied with finality her motion for reconsideration to stop the House from proceeding with her impeachment.

Ombudsman still running after NBN-ZTE star witness

Published by Ellen on February 21, 2011

Whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada could be the perfect example of how, in this country, people like him who dare spill the beans on wrongdoing get punished, not rewarded. It is a practice that he said must change under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

Three years after he faced the Senate as star witness exposing the corruption-ridden contract for a national broadband network, Lozada still faces a slew of lawsuits while the people he has accused of making millions of pesos in commissions have mostly escaped sanctions.

“Masigasig sila sa kakahabol sa kaso ko, eh (They’re determined to pursue the cases against me),” said Lozada, who still faces a P19.5-million malversation case related to the jathropa project of the Philippine Forest Corp. which he used to head. He also faces a graft case allegedly for the anomalous purchase of motor vehicles, fencing materials and other equipment worth P15 million.

Wilson Flores interviews Romy Neri

Published by Ellen on June 6, 2010

By Wilson Lee Flores
The Philippine Star

SSS president Romulo Neri recently made news headlines again along with former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos, with both pinned twice by the Ombudsman for a graft case, while President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo were cleared by the same Ombudsman of alleged wrongdoing in the controversial and allegedly overpriced US$329.48 million National Broadband Network (NBN) project with ZTE.

As former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief, Neri was in 2007 invited by the Senate to testify on the alleged NBN anomalies where he revealed that ZTE broker Abalos had offered him a P200 million bribe at Wack Wack Golf & Country Club for him to approve the NBN project. Neri narrated that he informed GMA about this bribery attempt and that she instructed him not to accept the bribe. However, when the Senate probed further on whether GMA herself had followed up the project, directed him to prioritize or approve it, Neri refused to answer the Senate, invoking “executive privilege.” The Supreme Court in 2008 affirmed Neri’s right as a cabinet official to invoke “executive privilege.” Neri has since declined to discuss at length this controversy with the media, but this writer recently convinced him to grant The Philippine STAR an exclusive no-holds-barred interview. Here are excerpts:

Ombudsman re-affirms clearance of Gloria and Mike Arroyo in NBN/ZTE case

Published by Ellen on May 26, 2010

Orders immediate suspension of Neri

by Andreo Calonzo
GMANews.TV

The Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday affirmed the involvement of former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director-general Romulo Neri and former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos in the botched multi-million NBN-ZTE deal.

In a 16-page joint order, the Ombudsman upheld its April 21, 2009 resolution recommending the filing of graft charges against Neri and Abalos in connection with the $329-million national broadband network deal (NBN) the Arroyo government entered with China’s Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp. in April 2007.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo terminated the contract, which was supposed to improve the communication capabilities of government offices, in September 2007 after news of bribery surrounding the deal came out.

Bare denials

The perils of exposing anomalies

Published by Ellen on November 12, 2009

It’s very difficult for me to accept the recommendation of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon to include Jose “Joey” de Venecia III and Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. among those who should be charged in connection with anomalous $329 million contract to build a national broadband network in the country with the Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

The recommendation to impeach Gloria Arroyo is fine. Although I’m sure Gordon knows that recommendation will just stay as recommendation given the time constraints. It’s also good that Mike Arroyo was not spared.
But why charge Joey de Venecia and Jun Lozada? Gordon said Joey cannot be considered a whistleblower because, “There were many times in this scandal that he could have blown the whistle but did not. He only started complaining when he did not get his way.”

So what if he did it when he didn’t win the contract? Did that make the information he gave useless? It maybe a case of sour grapping but the bottom line is because he squealed we learned how the Arroyos, through former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos, tried to make Filipino taxpayers pay $200 million (P9.2 billion) more than the real cost of the project.