Press Release
February 4, 2008

NERI, LOZADA ADVISED NOT TO BE AFRAID TO TELL THE TRUTH

Commission on Higher Education chairman Romulo Neri and Philippine Forest Corporation president Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. were advised yesterday by Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. not to be afraid to tell the truth about the ZTE contract on the national broadband network (NBN) project and to stop acting like former Agriculture Secretary Jocelyn Bolante who is still in hiding due to his refusal to face the Senate on the fertilizer fund scam.

Pimentel said what Neri and Lozada should be afraid of is the condemnation of the public by being part of the sinister plot to cover up the ZTE-NBN scandal, and not the risk of incurring the ire of Malacañang and of being yanked out of their government posts in the process.

"My advice to them is to tell the truth. If they have not done any wrongdoing, as what they insist, then there is no reason why they should run away and not testify in the Senate inquiry," he said.

"If they lose their jobs, that is not the end of the world for them. The Arroyo administration will not be in power forever. Perhaps they should be more concerned of their own reputation. What name and legacy will they leave to their children?"

Neri was the director general of the National Economic and Development Authority when the government awarded the $329 million NBN project to China's ZTE Corp. Lozada served as consultant to Secretary Neri who advised him on the technical aspects of the project.

Both Neri and Lozada were cited for contempt and ordered arrested by the Senate for ignoring the Senate's summons to testify in the probe.

Noting that Neri in particularly was peeved over the senators' statement that he has become a fugitive, Pimentel reminded him that the Senate is only trying to uphold the rule of law and to impose sanctions on those who show disrespect and defiance of the Senate.

He emphasized the Senate does not intend to arrest and keep Neri and Lozada under its custody but only wants to hear their side on several unanswered questions on the NBN project.

On Mr. Lozada, Pimentel said he was told that this agency head is a prayerful person who had earlier supposedly agreed to testify on the case, probably because he is bothered by his conscience.

He noted that Lozada reportedly flew to London via Hong Kong on the day of his testimony last week pursuant to a travel order issued by the secretary of environment and natural resources. But the purpose of his trip was unclear.

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