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Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Lozada says San Miguel not telling the truth
MANILA (Updated 5:05 p.m.) -- Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada, the star witness in the botched national broadband network (NBN)-ZTE deal, said in an interview Tuesday that Leo San Miguel, Senator Panfilo Lacson's 'surprise witness', is not telling the truth.
Lozada said San Miguel knows about the financing aspects of the controversial deal as he attended meetings with former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., businessman Ruben Reyes and retired general Quirino dela Torre.
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"Hindi lamang technical aspects or things like how to execute the project and design of the network yung pinag-usapan namin, but also government facilitations, loans and commissions," Lozada said.
San Miguel in his testimony before the Senate on Tuesday morning denied having direct knowledge on the alleged cash advances and kickbacks on the NBN project.
He repeatedly told senators that he was purely a technical consultant, and he knows nothing about the alleged advances and commissions.
When asked about how he (Lozada) describes San Miguel's statements in the Senate hearing Tuesday, Lozada said "Puro butas (full of holes)."
San Miguel, according to Lozada, still has a lot of things to explain.
"He was there in the meetings when we discussed about facilitating the government, the possible collaboration of Joey de Venecia, and the technical matters...I know for a fact that he's not telling the truth," Lozada added.
San Miguel, an electronics and communications engineer, told senators that he was hired by ZTE as technical consultant to conduct study on the NBN project.
He however, confirmed knowing Abalos, Reyes and dela Torre, as the people tapped by ZTE in facilitating for the approval of the project.
He said in meetings where Abalos, Reyes and dela Torre were present here and abroad, his attendance was purely to give technical presentation on the project.
Another Senate witness, Dante Madriaga, identified San Miguel as the person who hired him for the NBN-ZTE project and is part of the group who reportedly received advances from ZTE.
San Miguel confirmed hiring Madriaga to help him in the assessment of the ZTE project, but constantly denied knowledge about the kickbacks and cash advances as Madriaga revealed during his testimony two weeks ago.
Increase in project cost
San Miguel during the hearing also explained why the project increased from $262 to 329 million.
He said the $262 million proposal to the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) was limited to 1,733 barangays of the first and second class municipalities.
The $329 million proposal to the Department of Telecommunications and Communications increased because it now covers 25,000 barangays from first to sixth class municipalities.
Highlights
Meanwhile, San Miguel during his appearance denied being present during the meeting in Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club where First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo told businessman Jose "Joey" de Venecia III, another proponent for the NBN project, to back off.
Joey who was also present in the hearing insisted that San Miguel was in the room when Arroyo told him to back off.
He however, admitted meeting Senate witness Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada in several meetings related to the NBN-ZTE deal.
But he denied Madriaga's statements linking him to have knowledge on commissions from the project.
He described Madriaga's story as "incredible."
NBN-ZTE deal cancelled
Earlier on Trade Secretary Peter Favila told senators that the controversial NBN project has already been cancelled.
Favila is the first Cabinet member who appeared in a senate investigation after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted Executive Order 464.
However, Favila said there was no official document that would show that the NBN deal with ZTE Corp of China was cancelled.
But he said the minutes of the bilateral meeting between China's Jun Hintao and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the Philippines in Shanghai can attest that the contract has been cancelled.
The minutes was recorded by the Department of Foreign Affairs. (Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (March 11, 2008 issue)
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