Senate move to revive NBN-ZTE issue draws flak

Tacloban City (31 August) — Several congressmen and local government officials deplored the senate move to revive the National Broadband Network-ZTE issue, calling it a “futile exercise and waste of time”.

The Senate Blue-Ribbon Committee headed by Senator Richard Gordon has set for Tuesday the reopening of the investigation on the botched $329 million NBN-ZTE project.

Congressman Elpidio Barzaga, Jr. expressed surprise why a “dead” issue that should have long been resolved would be resurrected at this time when our country is facing a more serious problem on the economy arising from global recession,

He said previous hearings on the issue already served its purpose by determining the truth based on several witnesses’ testimonies. “We have had enough of these hearings and what the public is anxious about is for the senate committee to come up with its long overdue report.”

Barzaga wondered why such a report had been withheld when earlier, committee chairman Dick Gordon already announced that his draft committee report was ready for perusal by the committee members.

For his part, Surigao del Sur Congressman Philip Pichay raised doubts as to the true intent of the new Senate hearing on the NBN-ZTE issue, questioning its timing and asking why an expose that had long been relegated to the background suddenly appears at this period of political season.

Pichay said conducting further hearings on the issue would result to nothing except perhaps the political mileage benefiting only the complainants led by Joey de Venecia and Jun Lozada who are both angling for a senate seat.

Just the other day, the Ombudsman came out with its decision on the probe in the National Broadband Network deal with the ZTE Corp. of China. Cleared of graft was First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo while former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos and SSS Administrator Romulo Neri were indicted.

Meanwhile, Caraga Governor Vicente T. Pimentel, Jr. hailed the Ombudsman for coming out with its findings on NBN-ZTE “so we can move forward leaving the matter to proceed according to judicial processes.”

Pimentel said the clearing by the Ombudsman of President Arroyo and the First Gentleman was expected as “we the governors did not believe insinuations of the First Family’s involvement in the scandal.”

Commenting on the senate move, Surigao del Sur League of Mayors President Manuel Alameda, Jr. of San Agustin municipality said the intention to reopen the NBN-ZTE issue is obvious as some senators are using it, given its explosive impact, as platform for gaining publicity and earning points in the ongoing political surveys. (PIA)