PIMENTEL LAUDS HOLDING OF
HEARINGS ON ZTE DEAL DURING RECESS

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today commended Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, for pursuing the investigation into the controversy over the National Broadband Network (NBN) project during the congressional recess and scheduling the next hearing on the case on Oct. 25.

Pimentel said the Blue Ribbon Committee should summon back former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos and former National Economic and Development Authority director general Romulo Neri, now acting chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), to complete their testimonies on the circumstances behind the awarding of the $329 million NBN contract to China's ZTE Corp.

He said that holding the next hearing on the NBN-ZTE scandal on Oct. 25 should dispel doubts over the determination of the investigating panels to get to the bottom of the case.

"It is important that Blue Ribbon Committee, along with the Trade and Commerce Committee and Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws should continue its investigation into the ZTE contract and hold responsible all those who had a dirty finger poked into the messy deal," Pimentel said.

"Mr. Abalos should be summoned again so that he can shed light on his financial and business dealings with Evelyn Silagon and others in connection with the ZTE contract. Mr. Neri should be called back to the hearings so that he can complete his testimony. We cannot allow him to tell us half-stories. He should simply tell us the truth, not half truths."

Pimentel recalled that Neri, during the executive session on the evening of Sept. 26, had promised to the senators that he would return to finish his testimony and he should honor that commitment.

He said that the senators did not pursue their questioning of Neri after seeing that he was quite sick. The former NEDA head, he said, was allowed to go on the understanding that he will come back.

On Ms. Silagon, Pimentel said Abalos should respond to allegations that this woman was fronting for him in certain business deals.