So it is that after two years pouring through evidence and “consolidating the complaints in such a complex case” the Office of the Ombudsman has determined who to pin the blame on in the $329-M ZTE-NBN scandal.
It’s former economic planning secretary Romulo Neri taking the fall… err being suspended and charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan because the Ombudsman “could not close its eyes to his misconduct.”
Former COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos is off the hook despite Neri having tagged him as telling him “may 200 ka dito Sec (you have 200 here Secretary).
The First Couple, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo, were cleared of any involvement in the deal (which GMA signed after returning from an undisclosed golf round and meeting with ZTE OFFICIALS in Shenzhen), along with former House Speaker Jose De Venecia (who even presented what he claimed was a ‘smoking gun’ picture of the Shenzhen golf trip).
President Arroyo had aborted the contract after the scandal broke out, so now it’s Neri all by his lonesome.
No wonder then that Neri’s former ‘confidante’ at NEDA, secondary whistleblower, Rodolfo ‘Jun’ Lozada, was sobbing on DZMM radio, distraught over the turn of events.
Net gainers in this saga, methinks are the De Venecias, particularly Joey III who’s being drafted into former president Estrada’s senatorial slate while his dad retains massive following in Pangasinan where wife Gina is poised to run, and handily inherit his congressional seat.
That’s the way things are, Secretary Neri.
Anyway you are still head of the cash-rich Social Security System, presumed innocent until proven guilty, and sure to have the best lawyers money can put on retainer.
The Office of the Ombudsman (with its prized head Atty. Merceditas Gutierrez inhibiting herself) is unmindful of residual criticisms, having crafted what it says is a Solomonic resolution.
Only in the Philippines, eh folks?
Popularity: 1% [?]
Kafka wrote about the absurdities of government in his masterpiece “The Castle”, which took place in an unnamed land.
Rumor has it he had been spotted in the Philippines a short while before the book was issued . . .
Joe
Harharhar….
Ding,
I don’t think the contract has been cancelled. GLoria just says it was but has anybody ever seen it in writing? Did the government give ZTE an official written notice that the contract was cancelled? Where are the penalties for the cancellation, I doubt if ZTE is just going to take losses without getting compensated.
I will only believe the contract was cancelled when Gloria shows us her letter to ZTE and ZTE’s consent without damages.
ZTE still has the contract otherwise the government would have called for new bidders because NBN, it claims, was really needed.
That’s an entirely possible scenario, MB.
It reminds me of a remark attributed to Neri the other day… that he will “keep a secret to his death.”
Your guess?
This is the result when the Ombudsman Court and Justices are under
the influence of Presidents. The Justices are loyal to the appointing
President. Not to the People.
If these Justices would had been ELECTED by the people; to sit on the
benches. We, the people would had better control of corruption cases.
When an appointing President commits corrupt acts. It would be unlikely for an appointed Ombudsman Justice, or Justices will bring
her or him to the Ombudsman Court. “Utang na Loob” is a Filipino
trait or culture. The trait can be good or bad. No matter where you
look at it.
“If these Justices would had been ELECTED by the people; to sit on the
benches. We, the people would had better control of corruption cases.”
You are electing your officials from the president down to the barangay kagawad. How come corruption runs amok in all these?
Because many of us wants to “surge-the-gates” to stop the “huramentados”, but many of them wants to “move on” or wait-for-2010″. Which one was you?
A few even were/are clapping their hands, and mouth, in support of the “huramentados”, heheh.
Apologists of Gloria Arroyo use legal technicalities to confuse
the issues, and to absolve them from the crime. These are just the
questions to ask:
1. Why were Gloria Arroyo and her husband, Mike Arroyo playing
golf in the ZTE Corp., golf course? What are they doing there in
the middle of the Philippine government deal to buy broadband ?
2. Why did they sneak in the middle of the night, without anybody’s knowledge to go to China ? The picture of them cavorting in the golf course is disturbing. It shows the blatant abuse of power by these
people.
Truth will come out, when they will not be in power. Future Filipino
generations will judge them, and the corrupt Ombudsman Justices of
their trying to hide the Truth. These people has failed us in their
leadership. History will be a harsh judge.