Sunday, February 03, 2008 Gov't says row on Neri arrest 'irritant'
MALACAÑANG tried to downplay its row with the Senate over the arrest order on former socio-economic secretary Romulo Neri, calling it an "irritant" in their relations.
Presidential Management Staff (PMS) head Cerge Remonde said despite the ongoing row over Neri, they remain optimistic that the Palace and Senate can still work "constructively."
"Let us just consider that an irritant. We'd like to be optimistic, we can engage the Senate constructively to work for the people's welfare," Remonde said.
Senators and Malacañang officials had engaged in a word war since Wednesday evening, when the Senate issued arrest orders against Neri and Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.
The Senate ordered Neri and Lozada arrested for their no-shows at hearings on the US$329.5-million national broadband network (NBN) deal with ZTE Corp. of China.
Neri linked former poll chairman Benjamin Abalos to a bribe in exchange for pushing the ZTE deal, but refused to talk when asked about President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's role in the deal.
He then stopped attending Senate hearings, citing executive privilege.
He bewailed the arrest order against him, saying it sends the wrong signal to people that they will be punished if they expose wrongdoing and bribery.
But Neri managed to elude arrest and has contested the arrest order before the Supreme Court (SC). (JMR/Sunnex)
(February 3, 2008 issue) Write letter to the editor. Click here. Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here.
