Saturday, February 09, 2008 (Philippines)

CRYING LOZADA at the Senate hearing. (AP Photo) MANILA—Allies of President Arroyo forced the government to approve a telecommunications contract that would have led to US$130 million in kickbacks, a Senate hearing was told yesterday. Rodolfo Lozada Jr., an electronics engineer brought in to assess the national broadband deal, told the inquiry he was told to reduce the kickbacks to President Arroyo’s allies and to “moderate their greed.” [full story]