PerryScope
Perry Diaz
The ouster of Jose de Venecia as Speaker in the wee hours of February 5, 2008, demonstrated once again President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's insatiable lust for power. Indeed, Arroyo has amassed and consolidated more power than any other president except Ferdinand Marcos. But she did it without martial law. Through a series of Machiavellian maneuvers, she achieved absolute power. And as Lord Acton said more than a century ago, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." It was true then, it is still true today.
The Philippine government was patterned after the U.S. form of government which has three branches -- Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. Each branch is independent from the other branches, a mechanism that provides a "check and balance" in the government. But with de Venecia removed as Speaker -- and 80% of the congressmen controlled by Arroyo -- the House of Representatives would become a rubber stamp of the Executive branch just like it was with the Batasang Pambansa (National Legislature) during the Marcos dictatorship.
The new Speaker, Prospero Nogales -- said to have been handpicked by Arroyo herself -- would just be a glorified lapdog of Arroyo who'll do anything that she wants out of Congress. Arroyo's two sons, Congressman Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo and his younger brother, neophyte Congressman Diosdado "Dato" Arroyo, would make sure that Nograles will do exactly what mama wants.
The question that comes to mind is: Why did Arroyo get rid of de Venecia? De Venecia has been a loyal lieutenant of Arroyo who -- together with former President Fidel V. Ramos -- rescued her from imminent fall in 2005 as a result of the "Hello Garci" election cheating scandal. At 5:00 p.m. on that fateful Friday afternoon on July 8, 2005, with Arroyo losing her grip on power and ready to flee Malacanang and follow her husband Mike and son Mikey into exile in San Francisco, former President Ramos, Speaker de Venecia, several congressmen, and local officials rushed to Malacanang and stood behind Arroyo. To save her neck, Arroyo promised Ramos and de Venecia that she would go along with their plan to transform the republic into a parliamentary system in 10 months! But as soon as the "people power" siege was over, Arroyo reneged on her promise and pursued a different course. Mike and Mikey came back from "exile" -- or was it R and R? -- and everything was back to normal. Once again, La Gloria has conned all the boys. Ha ha ha…
Given de Venecia's loyalty, and with two years left in her presidency, Arroyo could have kept de Venecia as the House head honcho until she steps down gracefully from the presidency at the end of her term in June 2010. That would have been the right thing to do. Instead, she started a war with de Venecia and anyone who stands on her way. This war -- the "War of the Dynasties" -- would go beyond 2010 where the Macapagal-Arroyo dynasty would battle with anyone who would dare challenge their supremacy. For Mikey and Dato, the "whacking" of de Venecia was their "baptism of fire." They have "made their bones," so to speak. They allegedly did it in retaliation for the expose' made by de Venecia's son Joey de Venecia III who accused their father Mike Arroyo for involvement in the NBN $329 million deal in which President Arroyo was forced to cancel to prevent the scandal from blowing in her face and scorch her presidency. According to Joey, Mike Arroyo and then COMELEC Chairman Benjamin Abalos brokered the deal with the Chinese outfit ZTE Corp.
On February 7, two days after de Venecia was ousted by the Arroyo brothers, Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada, Jr. -- surrounded by nuns -- surfaced and held a press conference at 2:00 a.m. at the La Salle Greenhills campus and exposed Mike Arroyo and Abalos of their involvement in the failed NBN deal. Lozada said that he was a consultant for the NBN project and was asked by Romulo Neri, who was then the Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority, to review the project. The price tag of the NBN project was originally $262 million but Abalos wanted a $130 million kickback. Thus, the price was increased to $329 million to make sure that Abalos got his kickback. It is interesting to note that Joey de Venecia, in his testimony before the Senate last October, told the Senate panel that Abalos promised Mike Arroyo a $70 million kickback. If that would have been the case, Abalos would have kept a hefty $60 million for himself. After his press conference, members of the office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms arrived and whisked him away to safety.
The following day, Lozada testified before the Senate for seven hours. He told the Senate panel that Neri "instructed" him not to involve Mike Arroyo in the NBN issue. Neri's instruction was relayed to him by President Arroyo's Malacanang aide Medy Pobaldor while he was in Hong Kong. Interestingly, Lozada said that the government sent him to Hong Kong because "they couldn't find a legal remedy to stop the Senate" from requiring him to testify on the NBN deal. Isn't that what also happened to Joc-Joc Bolante during the fertilizer scam investigation by the Senate? Lozada also said that he met with Mike Arroyo, Abalos, and Neri during a dinner with ZTE officials. Lozada said that the ZTE officials told him that they had advanced some money to Abalos. I supposed the "advance" money was not refundable which would have angered the ZTE officials when President Arroyo canceled their contract. The question is: Did Abalos split the "advance" money with Mike Arroyo?
With de Venecia licking his wounds and Lozada singing like a canary in front of the Senate, what's going to happen next? Would de Venecia do to President Arroyo what Governor Chavit Singson did to former President Estrada? If de Venecia were smart, he would have kept a dossier of damaging information on all the corruptions and shenanigans in the Arroyo administration, just in case he might need them someday. Well, that "someday" is today. De Venecia has to strike while the iron is hot.
We all know that Charter change (Cha-cha) has always been in Arroyo's mind. It's the only vehicle for her to stay in power short of declaring martial law. As a matter of fact, she proposed last year to change the government to a federal system by 2012. Many believed that Arroyo's ultimate goal is to extend her term beyond 2010. Had the Supreme Court not rejected Arroyo's flawed people's initiative, she would have become the Prime Minister in 2010 under the parliamentary system that she proposed. Now, with the House of Representatives under her control, Cha-cha could easily sail through the House. But she would face stiff opposition in the Senate in which case she could once again resort to a people's initiative. This time, she would not repeat the mistake she made with the first people's initiative.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
What is Neri afraid to say and Why?
Dear Friends,
Here's a short write-up that Jun Lozada wrote sometime in October. He wanted me to disseminate it without attribution. I believe he was motivated both by his genuine concern for a beleaguered friend who was being maligned no end, and his desire, even then, for the truth to somehow surface. He left it up to me as to how and when to disseminate it.
I did not find any compelling reason to get it out then. But now that Jun has told it all, and Neri is being invited back to testify, I believe the public deserves to know what was (and maybe still is) in the mind of Neri – at least from the point of view of a friend. I'm sure Jun will not mind.
Let's get this out in the open.
God bless,
Enteng
What is Neri afraid to say and Why?
Many speculations have been made as to what Neri knows about the ZTE-NBN most particularly the direct involvement of Pres. Gloria Arroyo in this abominable affair. After his damaging "Sec. May 200 ka dito" demolition of Abalos, the discredited former Comelec Chairman, many were left disappointed when Neri suddenly clamped up when the Senators started asking him about the nature of his conversation with Arroyo, no amount of coaxing, cajoling and threats was enough to break his Code of Omerta. The question on many people's mind was, What was Neri trying to protect when he repeatedly invoked "Executive Priviledge" during that gruelling 12 hour Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on live television?
We have known the Truth all along as one of the few people that Neri confided his predicament during those fateful days of April 2006, and how he wanted to resign his post of NEDA Director General and Secretary for Socio-Economic Planning over this incident where he lost all his moral respect for Pres. Gloria Arroyo.
We are doing this document to give the public an understanding of this predicament.
What is Neri afraid to tell the public? He is afraid to tell the public that after he reported the Abalos P200 million peso bribe offer, Arroyo casually told him to ignore it and work for its recommendation for approval anyway. That when he protested that it is too controversial and may attract the wrong kind of attention from media, Arroyo retorted back "Pakulo lang ni Joey yan and his father". When he tried to reason that it may not be accommodated in the Chinese ODA package because it has been filled up with a list of projects already, Arroyo again ordered him to remove the low cost housing project and some water project to accommodate the ZTE-NBN deal in the ODA loan. That when he attempted to reason that it may not be approved in time for the Boao Forum which was only two days to go from that fateful April day, Arroyo with raised voice told him to include the ZTE-NBN project in the agenda of the following day's meeting of a combined NEDA Board and Cabinet Committee, who as expected promptly approved the project paving the way for the contract signing between ZTE and DOTC in China the next day. Neri is afraid to tell the public that this conversation took place between him and Arroyo because it might spark another impeachment complaint against Arroyo.
Why is Neri afraid to tell the public about this conversation with Arroyo? He is afraid that another impeachment will simply result to more expenses of public funds similar to the Hyatt 10 impeachment crisis, because as DBM Secretary who replaced Boncodin, he was entrusted with the large scale DBM payola operation of Arroyo to Congressmen, Senators and Governors not quite similar to the crude Panlilio incident that the public is witnessing now. He is afraid with a more partisan Andaya at the helm of DBM, more public funds will be spent to buy the silence and favour of these greedy legislators and local executives.
He is afraid that with Arroyo's firm control of public funds she can buy all the necessary support from most sectors of society to keep her in power.
He is afraid that even if the opposition knows about this conversation with Arroyo, he is afraid that the opposition will not pursue a serious impeachment proceedings against Arroyo, because it is not to their political interest that Noli de Castro becomes President in case Arroyo is impeached and becomes a more formidable political opponent in 2010. This insincere and unpatriotic goal of the opposition is already being manifested by the malicious speed that the Erap pardon is being cooked by Ronnie Puno together with the Erap camp to hastily put a united front of "Birds of the same corrupt feather" coalition against the emerging JDV led political opposition.
He is afraid that even if the Church knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal, the Church will still not call for her resignation due to the closeness of Arroyo's trusted lady liason to the Cardinal of Manila who was very effective during the "Hello Garci" crisis. That Arroyo's Religious Affairs Operators have the Bishops firmly in their "donation" graces, as again manifested by the quick rebuttal of the Mindanao Bishops' of the call of their fellow bishops in Luzon who where calling for the resignation of Arroyo just after Arroyo gave them a visit in Mindanao.
He is afraid that even if the military knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the fraudulent ZTE-NBN deal, the AFP brass is much to indebted to Arroyo for their position and the perks that goes with their position, that they have demonstrated this twisted loyalty with their willingness to detain, remove from the service and even shoot their own men for voicing out their legitimate concerns regarding the corruption and moral authority of their Commander in Chief. It is a sad spectacle to see the respected warriors of the Marines & Special Forces rot in jail with their ideals, while their men are dying even without receiving the measly P150 per day combat pay that was promised to them by Arroyo due to lack of funds & generals gets a gift bag similar to those given to the governors and congressmen just for having dinner with Arroyo the day after that infamous breakfast & lunch meeting where bribe money flowed scandalously free.
He is afraid that even if the Media knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN scam, Media will simply wither in the torrents of cash and favors similar to how the Hyatt 10, Hello Garci crisis were killed in the media headlines and Radio& TV coverages. Although he believes in the integrity of a handful of Journalist, he believes that a handful of these mavericks cannot withstand the hordes of paid lackeys of Malacanang. Especially that the Arroyo crisis team is now being handled by the best mercenary money can buy, from Ramos Sulo Operation, Erap's DILG and now Arroyo's troubleshooter, Ronnie Puno. Ably supported by the Media and PR money from PAGCOR being handled by Cerge Remonte to buy positive airtime, headlines and editorials.
He is afraid that even if the Business Sector knows about the truth of Arroyo's direct involvement to defraud the coffers of the taxes they are paying, the businessmen will be reluctant to rock the boat of the current economic uptrend, especially with the very close personal and business relationship of the so called leaders of the big business like Ricky Razon of ICTSI, Donald Dee of PCCI and Francis Chua of the Filipino-Chinese Federation to Arroyo herself. He is afraid that the hard earned remittances of Filipino OFWs that is keeping the economy booming and that can keep the economy afloat even under any administration is being wasted under this unholy alliance of Arroyo and her favoured businessmen.
He is afraid that even if the Civil Society knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal, that the Civil Society is now tired of mass actions after witnessing two failed EDSA revolutions, that Civil Society is now afflicted with a "Rally Fatigue" and cannot muster enough public outrage to denounce Arroyo's "corruption with impunity". He is afraid that the middle class is now indifferent to the corruption that goes around them, not realising that the middle class are the ones mainly carrying the burden of the loan payments for these corrupt deals. He is afraid that the middle class are more interested to become an OFW & to leave this country leaving their family and children behind, and may not care anymore about the crimes being committed against their country by its own President.
He is afraid that even if the Masa, the students, the workers knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal to steal precious resources from public funds, that they are now too poor and impoverished to be able to afford the time to join mass actions against the abuses of the Arroyo administration, that these former vanguards of mass actions in the country are now completely dependent on financial resources of professional organizers and have turned themselves into a "Rally for hire" groups rather than a true and genuine political gathering shouting for reforms.
He is afraid that the public may not know the extent of corruption in this country and may wrongly believe that they can cure corruption by simply replacing Arroyo with another person. He is afraid that the public may overlook the systemic and institutionalized nature of the source of corruption in this country, he is afraid that the people will again opt for a regime change without concern or a plan to correct the root causes of corruption in the country. He is afraid that people may not realize that it is not bringing Arroyo down that is difficult, it is establishing a new order that is the difficult task.
This is the predicament of Neri which I want people to realize especially to those who are asking Neri to tell the truth.
--
We all have to link and expand our ranks till the entire country is bound together with the strength and the ardor of our resolve. I do not exaggerate when I say this could be our last chance to save democracy in the Philippines. The darkness thickens and we have to move. - Joaquin "Chino" Roces, 1985
Bobby Kennedy - "Laws can embody standards; governments can enforce laws--but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for each and every one of us. Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted--when we tolerate what we know to be wrong--when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too frightened--when we fail to speak up and speak out--we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice."
shared by Billy Esposo
Here's a short write-up that Jun Lozada wrote sometime in October. He wanted me to disseminate it without attribution. I believe he was motivated both by his genuine concern for a beleaguered friend who was being maligned no end, and his desire, even then, for the truth to somehow surface. He left it up to me as to how and when to disseminate it.
I did not find any compelling reason to get it out then. But now that Jun has told it all, and Neri is being invited back to testify, I believe the public deserves to know what was (and maybe still is) in the mind of Neri – at least from the point of view of a friend. I'm sure Jun will not mind.
Let's get this out in the open.
God bless,
Enteng
What is Neri afraid to say and Why?
Many speculations have been made as to what Neri knows about the ZTE-NBN most particularly the direct involvement of Pres. Gloria Arroyo in this abominable affair. After his damaging "Sec. May 200 ka dito" demolition of Abalos, the discredited former Comelec Chairman, many were left disappointed when Neri suddenly clamped up when the Senators started asking him about the nature of his conversation with Arroyo, no amount of coaxing, cajoling and threats was enough to break his Code of Omerta. The question on many people's mind was, What was Neri trying to protect when he repeatedly invoked "Executive Priviledge" during that gruelling 12 hour Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on live television?
We have known the Truth all along as one of the few people that Neri confided his predicament during those fateful days of April 2006, and how he wanted to resign his post of NEDA Director General and Secretary for Socio-Economic Planning over this incident where he lost all his moral respect for Pres. Gloria Arroyo.
We are doing this document to give the public an understanding of this predicament.
What is Neri afraid to tell the public? He is afraid to tell the public that after he reported the Abalos P200 million peso bribe offer, Arroyo casually told him to ignore it and work for its recommendation for approval anyway. That when he protested that it is too controversial and may attract the wrong kind of attention from media, Arroyo retorted back "Pakulo lang ni Joey yan and his father". When he tried to reason that it may not be accommodated in the Chinese ODA package because it has been filled up with a list of projects already, Arroyo again ordered him to remove the low cost housing project and some water project to accommodate the ZTE-NBN deal in the ODA loan. That when he attempted to reason that it may not be approved in time for the Boao Forum which was only two days to go from that fateful April day, Arroyo with raised voice told him to include the ZTE-NBN project in the agenda of the following day's meeting of a combined NEDA Board and Cabinet Committee, who as expected promptly approved the project paving the way for the contract signing between ZTE and DOTC in China the next day. Neri is afraid to tell the public that this conversation took place between him and Arroyo because it might spark another impeachment complaint against Arroyo.
Why is Neri afraid to tell the public about this conversation with Arroyo? He is afraid that another impeachment will simply result to more expenses of public funds similar to the Hyatt 10 impeachment crisis, because as DBM Secretary who replaced Boncodin, he was entrusted with the large scale DBM payola operation of Arroyo to Congressmen, Senators and Governors not quite similar to the crude Panlilio incident that the public is witnessing now. He is afraid with a more partisan Andaya at the helm of DBM, more public funds will be spent to buy the silence and favour of these greedy legislators and local executives.
He is afraid that with Arroyo's firm control of public funds she can buy all the necessary support from most sectors of society to keep her in power.
He is afraid that even if the opposition knows about this conversation with Arroyo, he is afraid that the opposition will not pursue a serious impeachment proceedings against Arroyo, because it is not to their political interest that Noli de Castro becomes President in case Arroyo is impeached and becomes a more formidable political opponent in 2010. This insincere and unpatriotic goal of the opposition is already being manifested by the malicious speed that the Erap pardon is being cooked by Ronnie Puno together with the Erap camp to hastily put a united front of "Birds of the same corrupt feather" coalition against the emerging JDV led political opposition.
He is afraid that even if the Church knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal, the Church will still not call for her resignation due to the closeness of Arroyo's trusted lady liason to the Cardinal of Manila who was very effective during the "Hello Garci" crisis. That Arroyo's Religious Affairs Operators have the Bishops firmly in their "donation" graces, as again manifested by the quick rebuttal of the Mindanao Bishops' of the call of their fellow bishops in Luzon who where calling for the resignation of Arroyo just after Arroyo gave them a visit in Mindanao.
He is afraid that even if the military knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the fraudulent ZTE-NBN deal, the AFP brass is much to indebted to Arroyo for their position and the perks that goes with their position, that they have demonstrated this twisted loyalty with their willingness to detain, remove from the service and even shoot their own men for voicing out their legitimate concerns regarding the corruption and moral authority of their Commander in Chief. It is a sad spectacle to see the respected warriors of the Marines & Special Forces rot in jail with their ideals, while their men are dying even without receiving the measly P150 per day combat pay that was promised to them by Arroyo due to lack of funds & generals gets a gift bag similar to those given to the governors and congressmen just for having dinner with Arroyo the day after that infamous breakfast & lunch meeting where bribe money flowed scandalously free.
He is afraid that even if the Media knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN scam, Media will simply wither in the torrents of cash and favors similar to how the Hyatt 10, Hello Garci crisis were killed in the media headlines and Radio& TV coverages. Although he believes in the integrity of a handful of Journalist, he believes that a handful of these mavericks cannot withstand the hordes of paid lackeys of Malacanang. Especially that the Arroyo crisis team is now being handled by the best mercenary money can buy, from Ramos Sulo Operation, Erap's DILG and now Arroyo's troubleshooter, Ronnie Puno. Ably supported by the Media and PR money from PAGCOR being handled by Cerge Remonte to buy positive airtime, headlines and editorials.
He is afraid that even if the Business Sector knows about the truth of Arroyo's direct involvement to defraud the coffers of the taxes they are paying, the businessmen will be reluctant to rock the boat of the current economic uptrend, especially with the very close personal and business relationship of the so called leaders of the big business like Ricky Razon of ICTSI, Donald Dee of PCCI and Francis Chua of the Filipino-Chinese Federation to Arroyo herself. He is afraid that the hard earned remittances of Filipino OFWs that is keeping the economy booming and that can keep the economy afloat even under any administration is being wasted under this unholy alliance of Arroyo and her favoured businessmen.
He is afraid that even if the Civil Society knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal, that the Civil Society is now tired of mass actions after witnessing two failed EDSA revolutions, that Civil Society is now afflicted with a "Rally Fatigue" and cannot muster enough public outrage to denounce Arroyo's "corruption with impunity". He is afraid that the middle class is now indifferent to the corruption that goes around them, not realising that the middle class are the ones mainly carrying the burden of the loan payments for these corrupt deals. He is afraid that the middle class are more interested to become an OFW & to leave this country leaving their family and children behind, and may not care anymore about the crimes being committed against their country by its own President.
He is afraid that even if the Masa, the students, the workers knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal to steal precious resources from public funds, that they are now too poor and impoverished to be able to afford the time to join mass actions against the abuses of the Arroyo administration, that these former vanguards of mass actions in the country are now completely dependent on financial resources of professional organizers and have turned themselves into a "Rally for hire" groups rather than a true and genuine political gathering shouting for reforms.
He is afraid that the public may not know the extent of corruption in this country and may wrongly believe that they can cure corruption by simply replacing Arroyo with another person. He is afraid that the public may overlook the systemic and institutionalized nature of the source of corruption in this country, he is afraid that the people will again opt for a regime change without concern or a plan to correct the root causes of corruption in the country. He is afraid that people may not realize that it is not bringing Arroyo down that is difficult, it is establishing a new order that is the difficult task.
This is the predicament of Neri which I want people to realize especially to those who are asking Neri to tell the truth.
--
We all have to link and expand our ranks till the entire country is bound together with the strength and the ardor of our resolve. I do not exaggerate when I say this could be our last chance to save democracy in the Philippines. The darkness thickens and we have to move. - Joaquin "Chino" Roces, 1985
Bobby Kennedy - "Laws can embody standards; governments can enforce laws--but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for each and every one of us. Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted--when we tolerate what we know to be wrong--when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too frightened--when we fail to speak up and speak out--we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice."
shared by Billy Esposo
Is Jun Lozada the bearer of God's truth or the devil's lie?
AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo
Sunday, February 10, 2008
If it had been scripted, it would have been the best one yet and one that not any of our own best productions on film and television can ever match. If it had been an acting job, as some Arroyo regime minions suggest, then we have just witnessed a sterling performance of one fantastic thespian in Philippine theater history.
Is Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr. the bearer of God's truth or the devil's lie? Was Lozada's dope a product of spontaneous revelation that had been triggered by extreme strain from events beyond his control? Or, was he selected, coached and primed to awaken a nation to the realities of a wicked and corrupt regime?
Jun Lozada's story duplicated the shock and drama of the Garci Tapes scandal. Jun Lozada became the focus of national attention when word spread about the desperate rush to whisk him out of the country to prevent him from testifying in the Senate ZTE Hearings. His subsequent abduction upon his return to the country exposed a regime in extreme panic.
What secret does Jun Lozada know that the squatters in Malacañang are determined to keep untold? The answers to that question started to dawn on the nation when Jun Lozada held an early morning press conference last February 7 at the De La Salle Greenhills after he was released by his government abductors.
Where "Blue Chicken" Romulo Neri left us hanging, Jun Lozada gave us a detailed guided tour of the enormous ZTE contract overprice and the movers behind it. Lozada named former Comelec Chairman Ben Abalos and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo as the main promoters. He provided details of the meetings that explained what led to the US$ 130 million overprice.
Unlike ousted House Speaker Joe de Venecia who had nothing to lose by exposing regime secrets on realizing that the end of his reign was inevitable, Jun Lozada had everything to lose by speaking out. He could have spared himself and his family all the agony and emotional trauma if he had only cooperated with the regime.
But they threatened him and his family. Just like Chavit Singson who was similarly forced to be a whistleblower by circumstance, Lozada also felt that the guilty rogues in his story will never be comfortable keeping him alive and that it may only be a matter of time before those who are desperately keeping him clammed up will want to silence him forever. His survival rested on letting the people know and thus turning them into his watchdogs against adverse action from the regime.
True to form, the Arroyo regime lost no time in trying to demolish the credibility of Lozada. But Lozada's narration of what happened to him, how he was abducted right after he stepped out of the plane at NAIA and taken by car to a place where he was coerced into signing documents was totally credible. The battle lines had been drawn: a credible Lozada against a regime already well established for cheating and lying.
Even Sen. Miriam Santiago, who admitted during the Senate Hearing last Friday that she was out to test Lozada's credibility, could not score points. She only ended up bolstering Lozada's credibility when the latter openly confessed he was neither hero nor saint but one who is simply trying to save what is left of his soul.
Regime allies in the Senate were conspicuously absent — leading us to think that they knew the jig was up and there was a political whirlwind to be reaped if they tried to duplicate Sen. Santiago's attempt to demolish the credible witness.
Barely eight hours after his La Salle press conference, a good friend told me that a businessman was spreading the story that Lozada is a "notorious swindler" and a very crafty con man. By now, this old trick of the regime had lost its sheen. Worse things than that were said of Gov. Chavit Singson and yet he was believed when he exposed Juetengate which led to Joseph Estrada's ouster and conviction.
Sen. Santiago's most indecorous blow was insinuating a political agenda behind Lozada's actions. Sen. Santiago should do herself a favor and ask the man on the street who he thought was telling the truth last Friday at the Senate Hearing.
The Palace hurriedly staged press briefings last Thursday and Friday to try to control the damage wrought by Lozada's press conference in La Salle and his Senate testimony. The Thursday press conference had Sec. Toting Bunye, DENR Sec. Lito Atienza and PNP Chief Avelino Razon conniving to debunk the abduction issue. The Friday presscon had the DOTC Secretary, Assistant Secretary and a former CICT head attempting to debunk the $130 million ZTE overprice.
The Arroyo regime mouthpieces only managed to remind us of the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers at their stumbling best. You see, that is the problem with lying. The longer and more often that you try to perpetuate a lie, the more chances there are for the truth to emerge. Even the wily serpent in the Garden of Eden was eventually exposed for promoting falsehoods.
Lozada has become the Arroyo regime's worst nightmare. He comes when the credibility of the regime is at its lowest point. Makati Business Club's Bertie Lim is right — this could be the tipping point that will lead to the undoing of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Lozada is "one of us" to the ordinary Filipino who is sick and tired of all the self-serving politics and is cynical about reforms ever happening with the present set of politicians. This makes him an even more formidable threat.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
If it had been scripted, it would have been the best one yet and one that not any of our own best productions on film and television can ever match. If it had been an acting job, as some Arroyo regime minions suggest, then we have just witnessed a sterling performance of one fantastic thespian in Philippine theater history.
Is Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr. the bearer of God's truth or the devil's lie? Was Lozada's dope a product of spontaneous revelation that had been triggered by extreme strain from events beyond his control? Or, was he selected, coached and primed to awaken a nation to the realities of a wicked and corrupt regime?
Jun Lozada's story duplicated the shock and drama of the Garci Tapes scandal. Jun Lozada became the focus of national attention when word spread about the desperate rush to whisk him out of the country to prevent him from testifying in the Senate ZTE Hearings. His subsequent abduction upon his return to the country exposed a regime in extreme panic.
What secret does Jun Lozada know that the squatters in Malacañang are determined to keep untold? The answers to that question started to dawn on the nation when Jun Lozada held an early morning press conference last February 7 at the De La Salle Greenhills after he was released by his government abductors.
Where "Blue Chicken" Romulo Neri left us hanging, Jun Lozada gave us a detailed guided tour of the enormous ZTE contract overprice and the movers behind it. Lozada named former Comelec Chairman Ben Abalos and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo as the main promoters. He provided details of the meetings that explained what led to the US$ 130 million overprice.
Unlike ousted House Speaker Joe de Venecia who had nothing to lose by exposing regime secrets on realizing that the end of his reign was inevitable, Jun Lozada had everything to lose by speaking out. He could have spared himself and his family all the agony and emotional trauma if he had only cooperated with the regime.
But they threatened him and his family. Just like Chavit Singson who was similarly forced to be a whistleblower by circumstance, Lozada also felt that the guilty rogues in his story will never be comfortable keeping him alive and that it may only be a matter of time before those who are desperately keeping him clammed up will want to silence him forever. His survival rested on letting the people know and thus turning them into his watchdogs against adverse action from the regime.
True to form, the Arroyo regime lost no time in trying to demolish the credibility of Lozada. But Lozada's narration of what happened to him, how he was abducted right after he stepped out of the plane at NAIA and taken by car to a place where he was coerced into signing documents was totally credible. The battle lines had been drawn: a credible Lozada against a regime already well established for cheating and lying.
Even Sen. Miriam Santiago, who admitted during the Senate Hearing last Friday that she was out to test Lozada's credibility, could not score points. She only ended up bolstering Lozada's credibility when the latter openly confessed he was neither hero nor saint but one who is simply trying to save what is left of his soul.
Regime allies in the Senate were conspicuously absent — leading us to think that they knew the jig was up and there was a political whirlwind to be reaped if they tried to duplicate Sen. Santiago's attempt to demolish the credible witness.
Barely eight hours after his La Salle press conference, a good friend told me that a businessman was spreading the story that Lozada is a "notorious swindler" and a very crafty con man. By now, this old trick of the regime had lost its sheen. Worse things than that were said of Gov. Chavit Singson and yet he was believed when he exposed Juetengate which led to Joseph Estrada's ouster and conviction.
Sen. Santiago's most indecorous blow was insinuating a political agenda behind Lozada's actions. Sen. Santiago should do herself a favor and ask the man on the street who he thought was telling the truth last Friday at the Senate Hearing.
The Palace hurriedly staged press briefings last Thursday and Friday to try to control the damage wrought by Lozada's press conference in La Salle and his Senate testimony. The Thursday press conference had Sec. Toting Bunye, DENR Sec. Lito Atienza and PNP Chief Avelino Razon conniving to debunk the abduction issue. The Friday presscon had the DOTC Secretary, Assistant Secretary and a former CICT head attempting to debunk the $130 million ZTE overprice.
The Arroyo regime mouthpieces only managed to remind us of the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers at their stumbling best. You see, that is the problem with lying. The longer and more often that you try to perpetuate a lie, the more chances there are for the truth to emerge. Even the wily serpent in the Garden of Eden was eventually exposed for promoting falsehoods.
Lozada has become the Arroyo regime's worst nightmare. He comes when the credibility of the regime is at its lowest point. Makati Business Club's Bertie Lim is right — this could be the tipping point that will lead to the undoing of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Lozada is "one of us" to the ordinary Filipino who is sick and tired of all the self-serving politics and is cynical about reforms ever happening with the present set of politicians. This makes him an even more formidable threat.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Transcript of the Jun Lozada expose at 2:30 a.m. of February 7, 2008:
I'd like to start by thanking a lot of people who expressed their sincere sympathy for the family. I'd like to thank them first, so many of them. And in Tagalog, nagpapasalamat po ako sa lahat ng nagpahayag ng pag-aalala sa akin at sa sampu ng aking pamilya.
Ako po'y nagtawag sa pagpupulong na ito upang mabigayan ng liwanag. Madami kasing mga katanungan ang bayan ukol sa proyekto ng NBN-ZTE na ito.
At upang huwag na sanang mapilitan pa yung iba, marami nang mabubuting taong napilitan pang magsinungaling dahil sa akin. Hindi naman sila kasama rito, napipilitan pa silang magsinungaling. Ayokong maging dahilan na magkasala sa Diyos at sa bayan kahit sinoman. Ayoko ho iyon.
Mabigat po sa aking damdamin ito at isipan, ang aking gagawin. Ngunit kailangan kong gawin ito para sa kaunawaan, para maliwanag na ang isipan ng bayang ito na lubhang makaka-apekto doon sa kinabukasan nila.
Ang aking ilalahad na mga salaysay ngayon tungkol sa ZTE-NBN ay yung mga bagay na ako'y may personal na ginampanan, the things that I'm involved with. And I'm going to say this with malice to no one.
Wala ho akong malisya kahit kanino man. Ang sasabihin ko ay kung ano lang ginawa namin, at kung ano ang nangyari.
Introduced to Abalos
To my recollection of events, I'll start off the first time I was introduced to this project by Secretary Neri, monitored action to Chairman Ben Abalos. I guess if it was not late September, early October I was introduced by Secretary Neri to Chairman Ben Abalos in Wack-Wack together with his entourage sina Ruben Reyes…and the ZTE president Yu Yong and Fan Yang. We had lunch in Wack-Wack wherein we talked about the NBN-ZTE.
I remember that the Secretary told Chairman Abalos to course his project proposal to the proper channel. NEDA received the first copy sometime in October…prepared by…All questions were referred back to Asec Formoso.
When the Secretary gave me a copy for me to review, the first three that really caught my attention, when I was reviewing the financial cost, the financial projection were based on… September 20, 2006 issue wherein they were quoting how much government was spending for telecom expenses…
…So, I told the Abalos group, through their guy Leo San Miguel, that they should revise their proposal. They should fix it and try to avoid the education part of it, because there's already a cyber-education project.
Abalos wanted $130 million
Sometime in November, that was the time that I also met Joey de Venecia, to see the presentation on a similar project but on a BOT basis. And at that time, the Secretary asked me if the project was appropriate for NBN.
Until we presented the project proposal for the NBN. And the Secretary asked If I think it was appropriate and I said yes, so he encouraged Joey to push through the project development further.
And when the Secretary asked me if there was a synergy between the two projects I said, yes. But both of them were pitching for the same project. The Secretary told me to reconcile the two proponents. And at that point, it was really a good project.
At that point, when the Secretary told me to reconcile the two proponents, I immediately went to work and proposed one tool for the two proponents wherein both of them can achieve both of their objectives. Joey's objective was to do a BOT with government, which was completely above board, and then Chairman Abalos's objective was to do a loan, a project on a loan basis.
So the project structure that I proposed was that Joey becomes the lead contracting party to the government, it's on a BOT basis anyway. And that Abalos, to achieve his objective of supplying, becomes supplier to Joey's project.
I thought at that point it was already a win-win situation for everyone involved. The government gets its NBN project, Joey gets his BOT project, and then Abalos gets his supply comes up.
So, at one point I got them already to do their own thing. It's finished. But I guess the trouble started when Chairman Abalos wanted to protect his $130-million… how shall I put this…commission on the project. So dapat daw proteksyonan 'yong $130 million, (before) we agree that Joey become the main proponent.
'Bubukol po ito'
At that point, I just felt that…it might be a little too big, in the vernacular sabi ko bubukol po ito, sabi ko siguro kalahati pupuwede. But nonetheless I relayed the information to Joey, because it's going to be Joey's project anyway.
And Joey's reaction was really like ballistic, parang he was worried, saan n'ya kukunin itong $130 million na 'to, because the project cost is $262 million, and Abalos wanted $130 million na komisyon. So sabi ko sa kanila, hindi ko problema 'yan, that's your problem.
So at that point, I don't know if the listener can realize how much money all of these are na pinag-uusapan…$130 million…At that point, I was telling them na problema n'yo na ito basta you make sure you'll get this thing together because we don't want another Atong Ang or Chavit Singson scandal to rock this country. I also made it very clear...na basta maayos lang.
ZTE's advances to Abalos
Sometime in December, the ZTE rep, si Yu Yong at saka si Fan Yang, who get quite close to me, along the progress of the work, were already getting frantic and talking to me about developments in the project, because they'd already gave enough advances daw to Chairman Abalos. So, sabi ko sa kanila, the project is moving along, they should not be alarmed.
So, it was also at this point because of Joey's hesitance to agree on the $130-million commission, that Chairman Abalos started considering doing the project on his own, deretso na siya.
Ang sabi ko ho sa kanya na hindi ho puwedeng de-deretcho kayo, kasi ang kabilin-bilinan ni Secretray Neri, na yun din ata ang utos ng Presidente, na this project can only be done through a BOT basis, hindi puwedeng utang.
'Tawagan natin si FG'
So I was standing firm on that, na hindi talaga pupuwede. At that point, that was the time that Chairman Abalos said, halika, tawagan natin si FG. So, sabi niya, nung tinawagan niya, pare nandito yung taga NEDA sa tabi ko, hindi raw puwedeng i-utang yung project ko.
I cannot hear the voice from the other end, pero sabi n'ya, kung ganyan kayong kausap, and the Chairman continues, kung ganyan kayong kausap, ang hirap n'yo palang kausap, kalimutan n'yo na lang ang usapan natin.
I don't know what that meant. But the following day, totoo nga, a letter from the Chinese ambassador came addressed to the government, and… with Mike, stating that this is already December.
'Moderate their greed'
You can check this with the records. I'm just doing this through my own recollection. But if you can check sometime December, a letter addressed to Mike yata, came in from the Chinese ambassador saying that there is now money available for a loan, for the NBN project, independent of the cyber-education project.
Kasi yung cyber-education yun ang napag-agree-han na ilo-loan na. Ngayon there's another loan na naman na puwede na rin yung NBN i-loan, it was sometime early December.
So, I told the Secretary about it, Secretary Neri. And his instruction to me was very clear, sabi n'ya, Jun, you moderate their greed. I was naive to accept that order. I do not know what moderating greed means, but I followed Secretary Neri.
'Pare, okay na kami sa NEDA'
And due to the insistence naman nitong mga taga ZTE that the project gets going, Chairman Abalos invited us sometime on the third week of December, I'm pretty sure of the timing, over dinner in Makati Shang-rila. He asked to invite Joey as well, kasi si FG will be there with us.
Actually the First Gentlemen did not say much, except that Chairman Abalos told him na pare okay na kami nina Joey, ok na kami sa NEDA. (and the FG answered) Ah, ganon, mabuti naman, okay na , okay na.
So, I'm just narrating to you with no malice intended. Whatever that means, kayo na po ang bahalang umano.
And on their trip to China, I did not join them anymore, and I guess Joey can speak omn what happened in China.
Like the North Rail
Sometime in early January naman, Secretray Neri again invited us for lunch with Abalos in Edsa, in Makati-Shangrila in a Chinese restaurant together with Yu Yong and Fan Yang, the ZTE, and the Chinese commercial councilor. At that point, the Chairman again was making the impression that the project is already a go. May be there was parallel trust…because…(but) it was not yet a go.
So there was some negative reaction from the ZTE person, and the Secretary noticed some awkward moments there, and then he immediately ask a leave, and said that he had to go, and asked me to stay behind.
Chairman Abalos and the ZTE guy were in curious exchange of words, because the ZTE people were like demanding from Chairman Abalos that he promised that the ZTE deal will be done on a loan project under the North Rail. I don't know why they speak about the North Rail. I don't know why they speak about the North Rail. They keep on mentioning ala North Rail terms loan agreement.
'Alam mo bang…?'
So, that was last meeting I had with the Chairman. And on January 18, I remember the date very well. This is the only date that I can remember because this was the date I said bye to the project.
I was then in Dumaguete in Negros, together with Henry Teves, when Chairman Abalos called me up, to some like early evening, and asked me questions like, "Alam ba ni Neri yung ginagawa mo, (I said) Opo. Alam ba ni Neri yung ginawa mo. Opo. Alam mo bang malapit ako sa military. Opo. Alam mong malapit ako sa intelligence. Opo. Alam mo namang malapit ako…
And then he started cursing. Mura siya nang mura in Tagalog, lahat-lahat. At ang sabi niya, nandito sa akin yung CD lahat ng phone conversations ninyo nina Joey, mga hayop kayo, tina-traydor n'yo ko.
I don't know what gave him that impression..but the fact, that they said I know the week 17 in ISAPF can do that, which Chairman Abalos and Ruben Reyes are …close to, I was not surprised.
So, I just took with a grain, and then Chairman Abalos ended up…his words with, "Huwag kang magpapakita sa aking hayop ka sa Wack –Wack o sa Mandaluyong at ipapapatay kita."
That's when all my troubles started. So, I quit the project. I told the Secretary that I don;lt think this project is worth risking my life for. All I did was trying to help the Secretary understand it.
So on February 2007, the executive order was issued. So this is now my personal participation ended and where it ended for the project concept.
From $262M to $329M
In February 2007, an EO was issued by the Office of the President, transferring the telos, the implementing agency to DOTC. And on April, the project… the NBN was approved…at $329 million.
When I quit the project, the project cost was $262 million. So it was approved. I don't know what happened then. I'm not imputing anything now. But when it was approved, it was already approved at $329 million. And the day after it was approved, the President together with PagCor officials, went to China to witness the signing of the agreement.
This project for me is one transactional example of a dysfunctional government procurement, a systemic dysfunction on how we procure projects. There are other more that have escaped scrutiny, but ganun din ang sistema. And I have agonized over this decision...
Ang dasal ko lang sana maintindihan n'yo yung dusang dinananas ng pamilya ko ngayon. Ang dasal ko lang sana matutunan na natin after nito na ang salitang Pilipino ay hindi lang tumutkoy sa isang pamilya. Ang salitang Pilipino ay tumutukoy sa isang bansa, ang bansang Pilipino. And sometimes, it's worth taking a risk for this country.
-- Shared by William M. Esposo
Ako po'y nagtawag sa pagpupulong na ito upang mabigayan ng liwanag. Madami kasing mga katanungan ang bayan ukol sa proyekto ng NBN-ZTE na ito.
At upang huwag na sanang mapilitan pa yung iba, marami nang mabubuting taong napilitan pang magsinungaling dahil sa akin. Hindi naman sila kasama rito, napipilitan pa silang magsinungaling. Ayokong maging dahilan na magkasala sa Diyos at sa bayan kahit sinoman. Ayoko ho iyon.
Mabigat po sa aking damdamin ito at isipan, ang aking gagawin. Ngunit kailangan kong gawin ito para sa kaunawaan, para maliwanag na ang isipan ng bayang ito na lubhang makaka-apekto doon sa kinabukasan nila.
Ang aking ilalahad na mga salaysay ngayon tungkol sa ZTE-NBN ay yung mga bagay na ako'y may personal na ginampanan, the things that I'm involved with. And I'm going to say this with malice to no one.
Wala ho akong malisya kahit kanino man. Ang sasabihin ko ay kung ano lang ginawa namin, at kung ano ang nangyari.
Introduced to Abalos
To my recollection of events, I'll start off the first time I was introduced to this project by Secretary Neri, monitored action to Chairman Ben Abalos. I guess if it was not late September, early October I was introduced by Secretary Neri to Chairman Ben Abalos in Wack-Wack together with his entourage sina Ruben Reyes…and the ZTE president Yu Yong and Fan Yang. We had lunch in Wack-Wack wherein we talked about the NBN-ZTE.
I remember that the Secretary told Chairman Abalos to course his project proposal to the proper channel. NEDA received the first copy sometime in October…prepared by…All questions were referred back to Asec Formoso.
When the Secretary gave me a copy for me to review, the first three that really caught my attention, when I was reviewing the financial cost, the financial projection were based on… September 20, 2006 issue wherein they were quoting how much government was spending for telecom expenses…
…So, I told the Abalos group, through their guy Leo San Miguel, that they should revise their proposal. They should fix it and try to avoid the education part of it, because there's already a cyber-education project.
Abalos wanted $130 million
Sometime in November, that was the time that I also met Joey de Venecia, to see the presentation on a similar project but on a BOT basis. And at that time, the Secretary asked me if the project was appropriate for NBN.
Until we presented the project proposal for the NBN. And the Secretary asked If I think it was appropriate and I said yes, so he encouraged Joey to push through the project development further.
And when the Secretary asked me if there was a synergy between the two projects I said, yes. But both of them were pitching for the same project. The Secretary told me to reconcile the two proponents. And at that point, it was really a good project.
At that point, when the Secretary told me to reconcile the two proponents, I immediately went to work and proposed one tool for the two proponents wherein both of them can achieve both of their objectives. Joey's objective was to do a BOT with government, which was completely above board, and then Chairman Abalos's objective was to do a loan, a project on a loan basis.
So the project structure that I proposed was that Joey becomes the lead contracting party to the government, it's on a BOT basis anyway. And that Abalos, to achieve his objective of supplying, becomes supplier to Joey's project.
I thought at that point it was already a win-win situation for everyone involved. The government gets its NBN project, Joey gets his BOT project, and then Abalos gets his supply comes up.
So, at one point I got them already to do their own thing. It's finished. But I guess the trouble started when Chairman Abalos wanted to protect his $130-million… how shall I put this…commission on the project. So dapat daw proteksyonan 'yong $130 million, (before) we agree that Joey become the main proponent.
'Bubukol po ito'
At that point, I just felt that…it might be a little too big, in the vernacular sabi ko bubukol po ito, sabi ko siguro kalahati pupuwede. But nonetheless I relayed the information to Joey, because it's going to be Joey's project anyway.
And Joey's reaction was really like ballistic, parang he was worried, saan n'ya kukunin itong $130 million na 'to, because the project cost is $262 million, and Abalos wanted $130 million na komisyon. So sabi ko sa kanila, hindi ko problema 'yan, that's your problem.
So at that point, I don't know if the listener can realize how much money all of these are na pinag-uusapan…$130 million…At that point, I was telling them na problema n'yo na ito basta you make sure you'll get this thing together because we don't want another Atong Ang or Chavit Singson scandal to rock this country. I also made it very clear...na basta maayos lang.
ZTE's advances to Abalos
Sometime in December, the ZTE rep, si Yu Yong at saka si Fan Yang, who get quite close to me, along the progress of the work, were already getting frantic and talking to me about developments in the project, because they'd already gave enough advances daw to Chairman Abalos. So, sabi ko sa kanila, the project is moving along, they should not be alarmed.
So, it was also at this point because of Joey's hesitance to agree on the $130-million commission, that Chairman Abalos started considering doing the project on his own, deretso na siya.
Ang sabi ko ho sa kanya na hindi ho puwedeng de-deretcho kayo, kasi ang kabilin-bilinan ni Secretray Neri, na yun din ata ang utos ng Presidente, na this project can only be done through a BOT basis, hindi puwedeng utang.
'Tawagan natin si FG'
So I was standing firm on that, na hindi talaga pupuwede. At that point, that was the time that Chairman Abalos said, halika, tawagan natin si FG. So, sabi niya, nung tinawagan niya, pare nandito yung taga NEDA sa tabi ko, hindi raw puwedeng i-utang yung project ko.
I cannot hear the voice from the other end, pero sabi n'ya, kung ganyan kayong kausap, and the Chairman continues, kung ganyan kayong kausap, ang hirap n'yo palang kausap, kalimutan n'yo na lang ang usapan natin.
I don't know what that meant. But the following day, totoo nga, a letter from the Chinese ambassador came addressed to the government, and… with Mike, stating that this is already December.
'Moderate their greed'
You can check this with the records. I'm just doing this through my own recollection. But if you can check sometime December, a letter addressed to Mike yata, came in from the Chinese ambassador saying that there is now money available for a loan, for the NBN project, independent of the cyber-education project.
Kasi yung cyber-education yun ang napag-agree-han na ilo-loan na. Ngayon there's another loan na naman na puwede na rin yung NBN i-loan, it was sometime early December.
So, I told the Secretary about it, Secretary Neri. And his instruction to me was very clear, sabi n'ya, Jun, you moderate their greed. I was naive to accept that order. I do not know what moderating greed means, but I followed Secretary Neri.
'Pare, okay na kami sa NEDA'
And due to the insistence naman nitong mga taga ZTE that the project gets going, Chairman Abalos invited us sometime on the third week of December, I'm pretty sure of the timing, over dinner in Makati Shang-rila. He asked to invite Joey as well, kasi si FG will be there with us.
Actually the First Gentlemen did not say much, except that Chairman Abalos told him na pare okay na kami nina Joey, ok na kami sa NEDA. (and the FG answered) Ah, ganon, mabuti naman, okay na , okay na.
So, I'm just narrating to you with no malice intended. Whatever that means, kayo na po ang bahalang umano.
And on their trip to China, I did not join them anymore, and I guess Joey can speak omn what happened in China.
Like the North Rail
Sometime in early January naman, Secretray Neri again invited us for lunch with Abalos in Edsa, in Makati-Shangrila in a Chinese restaurant together with Yu Yong and Fan Yang, the ZTE, and the Chinese commercial councilor. At that point, the Chairman again was making the impression that the project is already a go. May be there was parallel trust…because…(but) it was not yet a go.
So there was some negative reaction from the ZTE person, and the Secretary noticed some awkward moments there, and then he immediately ask a leave, and said that he had to go, and asked me to stay behind.
Chairman Abalos and the ZTE guy were in curious exchange of words, because the ZTE people were like demanding from Chairman Abalos that he promised that the ZTE deal will be done on a loan project under the North Rail. I don't know why they speak about the North Rail. I don't know why they speak about the North Rail. They keep on mentioning ala North Rail terms loan agreement.
'Alam mo bang…?'
So, that was last meeting I had with the Chairman. And on January 18, I remember the date very well. This is the only date that I can remember because this was the date I said bye to the project.
I was then in Dumaguete in Negros, together with Henry Teves, when Chairman Abalos called me up, to some like early evening, and asked me questions like, "Alam ba ni Neri yung ginagawa mo, (I said) Opo. Alam ba ni Neri yung ginawa mo. Opo. Alam mo bang malapit ako sa military. Opo. Alam mong malapit ako sa intelligence. Opo. Alam mo namang malapit ako…
And then he started cursing. Mura siya nang mura in Tagalog, lahat-lahat. At ang sabi niya, nandito sa akin yung CD lahat ng phone conversations ninyo nina Joey, mga hayop kayo, tina-traydor n'yo ko.
I don't know what gave him that impression..but the fact, that they said I know the week 17 in ISAPF can do that, which Chairman Abalos and Ruben Reyes are …close to, I was not surprised.
So, I just took with a grain, and then Chairman Abalos ended up…his words with, "Huwag kang magpapakita sa aking hayop ka sa Wack –Wack o sa Mandaluyong at ipapapatay kita."
That's when all my troubles started. So, I quit the project. I told the Secretary that I don;lt think this project is worth risking my life for. All I did was trying to help the Secretary understand it.
So on February 2007, the executive order was issued. So this is now my personal participation ended and where it ended for the project concept.
From $262M to $329M
In February 2007, an EO was issued by the Office of the President, transferring the telos, the implementing agency to DOTC. And on April, the project… the NBN was approved…at $329 million.
When I quit the project, the project cost was $262 million. So it was approved. I don't know what happened then. I'm not imputing anything now. But when it was approved, it was already approved at $329 million. And the day after it was approved, the President together with PagCor officials, went to China to witness the signing of the agreement.
This project for me is one transactional example of a dysfunctional government procurement, a systemic dysfunction on how we procure projects. There are other more that have escaped scrutiny, but ganun din ang sistema. And I have agonized over this decision...
Ang dasal ko lang sana maintindihan n'yo yung dusang dinananas ng pamilya ko ngayon. Ang dasal ko lang sana matutunan na natin after nito na ang salitang Pilipino ay hindi lang tumutkoy sa isang pamilya. Ang salitang Pilipino ay tumutukoy sa isang bansa, ang bansang Pilipino. And sometimes, it's worth taking a risk for this country.
-- Shared by William M. Esposo
Thursday, February 7, 2008
What makes Congress stink?
AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Last Sunday, during an interview with ANC's Lia Andanar, I was aghast at what Manila Representative Amado Bagatsing said to explain the reason why he and his Kampi co-plotters want House Speaker Joe de Venecia (JDV) replaced.
Among the things that Rep. Bagatsing stated in that interview were the following:
• Kampi wants change. Kampi wants to redeem the bad image of the House which was accumulated during the successive terms of Speaker Joe de Venecia.
• Kampi does not want anything to do with the bad things of the past and wants a fresh start for a new Congress.
• GMA (Madame Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) does not meddle in the affairs of the House.
As it turned out, these points were the same things that the Malacañang stooges in Congress expressed last Monday when they finally ousted JDV as House Speaker and replaced him with Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles.
This Chair Wrecker is no fan of JDV. As a person, I find Joe quite likable and that is something I cannot say about many of the other congressmen with or against him. A visit to my website and archives will show how many times I've slammed Joe for a whole range of justifiable reasons. Joe can be most charming but his politics, as far as I'm concerned, stinks.
But for other quintessential traditional politicians — trapos — like Amado Bagatsing and his ilk, saying those things about JDV is like a demon calling the devil bad. When you're as guilty as the guy you are shafting from behind, and when you are just as much a contributor to the stinking image of Congress, isn't this nothing but a demonstration of bad taste on the part of JDV's accusers?
Who among us can believe that the likes of Amado Bagatsing, Mikey Arroyo, Louie Villafuerte, Prospero Nograles et al will offer change? Can you say that one more time please, just in case repeating a lie can make it true?
I still distinctly remember Villafuerte and Nograles leading the charge to ram down our throats that self-serving Charter Change (via Constituent Assembly or Con-Ass) in December 2006. Surveys already clearly conveyed that the people did not want Charter Change, especially one via Con-Ass. Did they respect the people's sentiments at all? Having seen how they disregarded the people's sentiments, can we now believe that they will actually bring about the kind of change we want in Congress?
Majority of Filipinos wanted an impeachment trial of GMA in order to bring closure to the 2004 election scandal. Instead, they killed the impeachment move twice and then flaunted it to all and sundry that all the fuss and fury had been nothing but a numbers game.
They would have us believe that GMA does not meddle in the affairs of the House. Go ask Mahar Mangahas of SWS to check how many Filipinos will believe that.
Joe de Venecia has a lot to account for with respect to befouling the image of the House. In reality, the stinking image of the House has a lot to do with its lack of spine during those times when they chose to acquiesce to the wishes of the Malacañang residents.
In contrast, the Senate and the Supreme Court enjoy the highest public ratings among the major institutions. By no coincidence, most Filipinos see the Senate and the Supreme Court as institutions that check the excesses of the Executive branch.
I've always tried to explain how our politicians and government officials have been exploiting our people's lack of knowledge and understanding of the important issues that affect their lives.
Just recently, I wrote a series of columns that exposed the emerging Generic Drugs Mafia in this country that could place many Filipinos at very serious risk if and when fake and substandard generic drugs are allowed to flood the country. That expose has sent the Generic Drugs Mafia on the defensive, even altering their original posture.
Kampi and its allies should at least spare us this bovine ordure about shafting JDV in the name of change and reform in the House.
Why can't they be honest about their motives? Why don't they admit that this was all about vendetta for the damaging testimony of Joey de Venecia, JDV's son, at the Senate ZTE hearings? Many of us are familiar by now just how vindictive this ruling family can be and that reason won't surprise us at all.
Why don't they admit that they are angling for another attempt at Charter Change and Con-Ass so GMA can stay awhile longer? We can at least believe that they want to do this because they want to extend their partying and merry making.
Or why don't they say that there were new rounds of gift giving ceremonies in Malacañang and that they could not resist the offer? Most Filipinos will understand how congressmen can sell their loyalties for the right price.
By being honest with their real motives, these congressmen can at least claim to have done one honest act during their term.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Last Sunday, during an interview with ANC's Lia Andanar, I was aghast at what Manila Representative Amado Bagatsing said to explain the reason why he and his Kampi co-plotters want House Speaker Joe de Venecia (JDV) replaced.
Among the things that Rep. Bagatsing stated in that interview were the following:
• Kampi wants change. Kampi wants to redeem the bad image of the House which was accumulated during the successive terms of Speaker Joe de Venecia.
• Kampi does not want anything to do with the bad things of the past and wants a fresh start for a new Congress.
• GMA (Madame Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) does not meddle in the affairs of the House.
As it turned out, these points were the same things that the Malacañang stooges in Congress expressed last Monday when they finally ousted JDV as House Speaker and replaced him with Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles.
This Chair Wrecker is no fan of JDV. As a person, I find Joe quite likable and that is something I cannot say about many of the other congressmen with or against him. A visit to my website and archives will show how many times I've slammed Joe for a whole range of justifiable reasons. Joe can be most charming but his politics, as far as I'm concerned, stinks.
But for other quintessential traditional politicians — trapos — like Amado Bagatsing and his ilk, saying those things about JDV is like a demon calling the devil bad. When you're as guilty as the guy you are shafting from behind, and when you are just as much a contributor to the stinking image of Congress, isn't this nothing but a demonstration of bad taste on the part of JDV's accusers?
Who among us can believe that the likes of Amado Bagatsing, Mikey Arroyo, Louie Villafuerte, Prospero Nograles et al will offer change? Can you say that one more time please, just in case repeating a lie can make it true?
I still distinctly remember Villafuerte and Nograles leading the charge to ram down our throats that self-serving Charter Change (via Constituent Assembly or Con-Ass) in December 2006. Surveys already clearly conveyed that the people did not want Charter Change, especially one via Con-Ass. Did they respect the people's sentiments at all? Having seen how they disregarded the people's sentiments, can we now believe that they will actually bring about the kind of change we want in Congress?
Majority of Filipinos wanted an impeachment trial of GMA in order to bring closure to the 2004 election scandal. Instead, they killed the impeachment move twice and then flaunted it to all and sundry that all the fuss and fury had been nothing but a numbers game.
They would have us believe that GMA does not meddle in the affairs of the House. Go ask Mahar Mangahas of SWS to check how many Filipinos will believe that.
Joe de Venecia has a lot to account for with respect to befouling the image of the House. In reality, the stinking image of the House has a lot to do with its lack of spine during those times when they chose to acquiesce to the wishes of the Malacañang residents.
In contrast, the Senate and the Supreme Court enjoy the highest public ratings among the major institutions. By no coincidence, most Filipinos see the Senate and the Supreme Court as institutions that check the excesses of the Executive branch.
I've always tried to explain how our politicians and government officials have been exploiting our people's lack of knowledge and understanding of the important issues that affect their lives.
Just recently, I wrote a series of columns that exposed the emerging Generic Drugs Mafia in this country that could place many Filipinos at very serious risk if and when fake and substandard generic drugs are allowed to flood the country. That expose has sent the Generic Drugs Mafia on the defensive, even altering their original posture.
Kampi and its allies should at least spare us this bovine ordure about shafting JDV in the name of change and reform in the House.
Why can't they be honest about their motives? Why don't they admit that this was all about vendetta for the damaging testimony of Joey de Venecia, JDV's son, at the Senate ZTE hearings? Many of us are familiar by now just how vindictive this ruling family can be and that reason won't surprise us at all.
Why don't they admit that they are angling for another attempt at Charter Change and Con-Ass so GMA can stay awhile longer? We can at least believe that they want to do this because they want to extend their partying and merry making.
Or why don't they say that there were new rounds of gift giving ceremonies in Malacañang and that they could not resist the offer? Most Filipinos will understand how congressmen can sell their loyalties for the right price.
By being honest with their real motives, these congressmen can at least claim to have done one honest act during their term.
The Madriaga file on broadband deal
Malaya/February 7, 2008
By Ellen Tordesillas
THE following document landed in my mailbox. It's supposed to have been written by a certain Dante Madriaga. (A check with UP alumni activities show a Dante Madriaga as earning a BSE from UP in 1966.). For what's it worth, here it is.
***
I am an electronic/electrical engineer by profession. I attended the University of the Philippines and Texas A&M University. I have been in the communications industry for over 30 years. I was a part owner of a company in the LISP in Cabuyao, Laguna that exported microwave radio transmitters. I was involved in the original design of the ARESCOM proposal using a concept similar to what Joey de Venecia thought about. I have been involved in the preparation and design of the NBN ZTE proposal since the beginning.
I have been a technical consultant for the project involved not only in the design but as a liaison to NEDA, DOTC/TELOF/CICT. I was involved in all discussions regarding the project including the names of other people involved, margins and actual pricing details.
ZTE International signed an MOU with the government on March 14 on a National Broadband Network project.
The following is my account of the project from the start to the time when the negotiations were turned over to the finance group. With the exception of the China trips I was present in all the meetings. There may be some omissions and oversights, some of it done on purpose.
May 2006: The project was brought to ZTE on May 5 by a person named Stephen Lai, who was originally with Arescom and is a personal friend oft the Arescom president Cris Ching. ZTE approached Chairman Abalos whom they knew to help on the political side. Chairman Abalos enlisted the help of Ruben Reyes a golfing buddy to come up with a team to expedite matters. Ruben Reyes contacted General Quirino de la Torre and Leo San Miguel. I was approached by Leo San Miguel whom I had known before to work on the project. I provided Leo inputs on the Arescom proposal which ZTE used as a basis to start their design.
June 2006: Ruben Reyes, Leo San Miguel, General De la Torre, Stephen Lai, Yu Yong, Fan Yang met on June 16 at the Makati Shangri-La in a private environment to discuss the NBN project. They were later joined by Chairman Abalos who left first. We start the design work but are hindered by cost constrains. There is no possible way to achieve the $130M Arescom budget with the commissions that were needed. They decide to increase it to $190M and later added some more components to make it $262M. Same group meets on June 18 with the addition of Secretary Mike Defensor and Abalos chief of staff Paz and without Stephen Lai meet in Wack-Wack to discuss details on the commissions.
July 2006: We make initial presentations to CICT and Telof at the CICT office. Chairman Sales was present together with then Telof Asec Frank Perez, the son of Sec Nani Perez, Commissioner Lorenzo Formoso, ZTE personnel and the DOTC/CICT technical staff. Chairman Sales initial comment was that the NBN project was best left up to private but promised to review the proposal and make recommendations. We made similar presentations to the NEDA infrastructure group, present was the ZTE group including Fan Yang and the accounting personnel of ZTE. NEDA writes a letter to us citing objections to the initial design. PGMA signs an MOU on July 12 designating Sec Favila to negotiate with ZTE on the government's behalf. Group meets on July 25 in Wack-Wack to solve the problems.
August 2006: Then DOTC Asec Perez makes a presentation and objects to the cost and the design. I work with the NEDA group to smooth out their objections. Asec Perez who openly discredits the project is promptly replaced by Commissioner Formoso who vowed to help with the implementation. Asec Formoso is a better choice than Asec Perez because he is an engineer and a lawyer and can defend the project well. Chairman Sales reviews the project but is still not convinced; through back door channels he changes his tune at a later date. Group on August 11 goes to China and demands an advance payment upon orders from the boss ostensibly to facilitate the approval and for PR. Chairman Abalos leaves first over the weekend. They get it after mentioning the name of the FG. Ruben Reyes is designated as the recipient. Group comes back from China on August 15 and meets again with Chairman Abalos to tell of their success. US$1M was doled out, Ruben Reyes was designated as the recipient.
September 2006: Group meets regularly at Wack-Wack every weekend at night to discuss ways to facilitate the approval of the project. NEDA status is ok but all of a sudden meets a sudden resistance from Director General Neri. Group meets at Wack-Wack on September 22 to address the problem. We meet Sec Mendoza at his office and make representations. Secretary does not hear the full presentation but endorses us to the then head of legal Atty. Noel Cruz. DOTC legal returns the endorsement of the NBN project to the CICT. Design is changed again trying to fit the commitments. ZTE and group argue on the profit margins, they finally decide on September 28 that the increasing the project amount to $270M will give them a margin of $70M each.
October 2006: The name Joey de Venecia suddenly comes into play and makes the group worried. He wants the same project but on a BOT scheme and is adamant about it, he had the idea long before Arescom and ZTE conceptualized it; in fact the whole idea the Arescom proposal came from Joey. Leo San Miguel is tasked to fix the problem since he personally knows Joey. The negotiations do not progress because of Joey's distrust for the group. Group meets at Wack-Wack on October 11 and decides to ask the FG for help on how to handle Joey. Ruben Reyes, Chairman Abalos and General De La Torre fly to China on October 14 and discuss the problem with the ZTE officials about Joey. ZTE is alarmed but is reassured that everything will be taken care of with the intervention of the FG.
November 2006: Group is notified on November 12 that the President does not want to borrow and instead wants a BOT scheme similar to the AHI proposal. Group decides to compete with Joey and brings an alternate solution by bringing out a competing BOT offer. Joey is unfazed since he holds all the cards at NEDA with his father's help and stonewalls the group's effort. Group meets almost daily to discuss ways to resolve the issues. ZTE is furious at group for not controlling the situation. Group decides that the only way that Secretary Neri would not object is to offer him a commission of US$4M at that time the exchange rate of 50-1. Chairman Abalos is designated to fix the problem.
December 2006: Group submits a proposal to Chairman Sales changing strategy and hoping to revive the NBN proposal to a BOT similar to Joey's proposal. In a meeting in Wack-Wack in December 5, FG and Abalos try to convince Joey to just partner with them and quit his objection. In the meeting at Wack Wack FG threatens Joey by telling him to back off and stay out of the project. ZTE tries to help out in the conflict and even designs the AHI network thereby exposing their pricing to Joey's group. Group goes to China on December 27 with Joey to fix the problem, they meet with ZTE officials at ZTE HQ but the negotiation fails. It was during these negotiations that Joey brought up the idea of ZTE partnering with Hwawei, another Chinese supplier. The suggestion is promptly dismissed by ZTE and negotiations break down. Group demands an advance and promptly got it from ZTE before the arrival of Joey De Venecia. Ruben Reyes is again designated as the recipient. US$5M was doled out.
January 2007: Group abandons the BOT proposal and decides to meet Joey De Venecia's AHI group head-on with their own BOT proposal. Asec Formoso organizes a defense by creating a Technical Working Group (TWG) to evaluate the proposals of ZTE, AHI and Arescom. It comes as no surprise that the TWG comes up with a report tilted in favor of ZTE because all of the members are either TELOF or DOTC personnel, they do not want the offer of AHI since it will be implemented by the private AHI group. Group plots strategy and enlists Secretary Mendoza since Chairman Sales is a technocrat and Secretary Mendoza is a long-time ally. Group decides to move Telof back to DOTC citing the reason that CICT is a commission and cannot implement a project of this magnitude. In the end Secretary Sales signs the endorsement of the project anyway.
February 2007: TWG finishes the evaluation and hands it to the Technical Working Committee (TWC) who promptly endorses it to Secretary Mendoza. ZTE is endorsed to NEDA by both Mendoza and Sales.
Joey is not impressed and files a complaint about the ZTE proposal to whoever would listen citing the disadvantages to the government. The project at NEDA is delayed and the much needed NEDA approval is stalled. Secretary Neri does not seem to be favoring the NBN and appears to be part of the problem because he likes the AHI proposal rather than the NBN which requires a government guarantee.
March 2007: On March 8, approval of GMA is secured in order to meet the deadline for final NEDA approval by the executive. Group meets on March 12 in Wack Wack with Yu Yong and Fan Yang. They finally expand the proposed coverage to increase the amount to $329M. Joey is furious when the NBN proposal is approved and threatens to expose all the dealings that stopped his much superior proposal. Group does not appear to be worried and thinks it is just sour graping. Upon approval by the NEDA, group meets on March 28 in Wack Wack with ZTE and demands another cash advance which they got. Ruben Reyes is the designated recipient again. US$10M is again doled out.
April 2006: Group meets again in Makati Shangri-La on April 4 with Yu Yong and Fan Yang of ZTE to discuss ways of getting upfront money to finance partly the elections and some personal needs. Ruben Reyes is again designated as the recipient. US$ 30M is again doled out. Yu Yong agrees but on the condition that PGMA be present at the signing. PGMA promptly goes to China to witness the signing. FG cannot participate since he is hospitalized and Abalos is busy with the elections. Ruben Reyes takes over all of the negotiations and transfer of funds. Upon arrival from China on April 27, Secretary Mendoza and Secretary Favila visit the FG and inform him of the good news.
May 2007: Loan negotiation starts.
Blog: www.ellentordesillas.com
Email address: ellentordesillas@gmail.com
By Ellen Tordesillas
THE following document landed in my mailbox. It's supposed to have been written by a certain Dante Madriaga. (A check with UP alumni activities show a Dante Madriaga as earning a BSE from UP in 1966.). For what's it worth, here it is.
***
I am an electronic/electrical engineer by profession. I attended the University of the Philippines and Texas A&M University. I have been in the communications industry for over 30 years. I was a part owner of a company in the LISP in Cabuyao, Laguna that exported microwave radio transmitters. I was involved in the original design of the ARESCOM proposal using a concept similar to what Joey de Venecia thought about. I have been involved in the preparation and design of the NBN ZTE proposal since the beginning.
I have been a technical consultant for the project involved not only in the design but as a liaison to NEDA, DOTC/TELOF/CICT. I was involved in all discussions regarding the project including the names of other people involved, margins and actual pricing details.
ZTE International signed an MOU with the government on March 14 on a National Broadband Network project.
The following is my account of the project from the start to the time when the negotiations were turned over to the finance group. With the exception of the China trips I was present in all the meetings. There may be some omissions and oversights, some of it done on purpose.
May 2006: The project was brought to ZTE on May 5 by a person named Stephen Lai, who was originally with Arescom and is a personal friend oft the Arescom president Cris Ching. ZTE approached Chairman Abalos whom they knew to help on the political side. Chairman Abalos enlisted the help of Ruben Reyes a golfing buddy to come up with a team to expedite matters. Ruben Reyes contacted General Quirino de la Torre and Leo San Miguel. I was approached by Leo San Miguel whom I had known before to work on the project. I provided Leo inputs on the Arescom proposal which ZTE used as a basis to start their design.
June 2006: Ruben Reyes, Leo San Miguel, General De la Torre, Stephen Lai, Yu Yong, Fan Yang met on June 16 at the Makati Shangri-La in a private environment to discuss the NBN project. They were later joined by Chairman Abalos who left first. We start the design work but are hindered by cost constrains. There is no possible way to achieve the $130M Arescom budget with the commissions that were needed. They decide to increase it to $190M and later added some more components to make it $262M. Same group meets on June 18 with the addition of Secretary Mike Defensor and Abalos chief of staff Paz and without Stephen Lai meet in Wack-Wack to discuss details on the commissions.
July 2006: We make initial presentations to CICT and Telof at the CICT office. Chairman Sales was present together with then Telof Asec Frank Perez, the son of Sec Nani Perez, Commissioner Lorenzo Formoso, ZTE personnel and the DOTC/CICT technical staff. Chairman Sales initial comment was that the NBN project was best left up to private but promised to review the proposal and make recommendations. We made similar presentations to the NEDA infrastructure group, present was the ZTE group including Fan Yang and the accounting personnel of ZTE. NEDA writes a letter to us citing objections to the initial design. PGMA signs an MOU on July 12 designating Sec Favila to negotiate with ZTE on the government's behalf. Group meets on July 25 in Wack-Wack to solve the problems.
August 2006: Then DOTC Asec Perez makes a presentation and objects to the cost and the design. I work with the NEDA group to smooth out their objections. Asec Perez who openly discredits the project is promptly replaced by Commissioner Formoso who vowed to help with the implementation. Asec Formoso is a better choice than Asec Perez because he is an engineer and a lawyer and can defend the project well. Chairman Sales reviews the project but is still not convinced; through back door channels he changes his tune at a later date. Group on August 11 goes to China and demands an advance payment upon orders from the boss ostensibly to facilitate the approval and for PR. Chairman Abalos leaves first over the weekend. They get it after mentioning the name of the FG. Ruben Reyes is designated as the recipient. Group comes back from China on August 15 and meets again with Chairman Abalos to tell of their success. US$1M was doled out, Ruben Reyes was designated as the recipient.
September 2006: Group meets regularly at Wack-Wack every weekend at night to discuss ways to facilitate the approval of the project. NEDA status is ok but all of a sudden meets a sudden resistance from Director General Neri. Group meets at Wack-Wack on September 22 to address the problem. We meet Sec Mendoza at his office and make representations. Secretary does not hear the full presentation but endorses us to the then head of legal Atty. Noel Cruz. DOTC legal returns the endorsement of the NBN project to the CICT. Design is changed again trying to fit the commitments. ZTE and group argue on the profit margins, they finally decide on September 28 that the increasing the project amount to $270M will give them a margin of $70M each.
October 2006: The name Joey de Venecia suddenly comes into play and makes the group worried. He wants the same project but on a BOT scheme and is adamant about it, he had the idea long before Arescom and ZTE conceptualized it; in fact the whole idea the Arescom proposal came from Joey. Leo San Miguel is tasked to fix the problem since he personally knows Joey. The negotiations do not progress because of Joey's distrust for the group. Group meets at Wack-Wack on October 11 and decides to ask the FG for help on how to handle Joey. Ruben Reyes, Chairman Abalos and General De La Torre fly to China on October 14 and discuss the problem with the ZTE officials about Joey. ZTE is alarmed but is reassured that everything will be taken care of with the intervention of the FG.
November 2006: Group is notified on November 12 that the President does not want to borrow and instead wants a BOT scheme similar to the AHI proposal. Group decides to compete with Joey and brings an alternate solution by bringing out a competing BOT offer. Joey is unfazed since he holds all the cards at NEDA with his father's help and stonewalls the group's effort. Group meets almost daily to discuss ways to resolve the issues. ZTE is furious at group for not controlling the situation. Group decides that the only way that Secretary Neri would not object is to offer him a commission of US$4M at that time the exchange rate of 50-1. Chairman Abalos is designated to fix the problem.
December 2006: Group submits a proposal to Chairman Sales changing strategy and hoping to revive the NBN proposal to a BOT similar to Joey's proposal. In a meeting in Wack-Wack in December 5, FG and Abalos try to convince Joey to just partner with them and quit his objection. In the meeting at Wack Wack FG threatens Joey by telling him to back off and stay out of the project. ZTE tries to help out in the conflict and even designs the AHI network thereby exposing their pricing to Joey's group. Group goes to China on December 27 with Joey to fix the problem, they meet with ZTE officials at ZTE HQ but the negotiation fails. It was during these negotiations that Joey brought up the idea of ZTE partnering with Hwawei, another Chinese supplier. The suggestion is promptly dismissed by ZTE and negotiations break down. Group demands an advance and promptly got it from ZTE before the arrival of Joey De Venecia. Ruben Reyes is again designated as the recipient. US$5M was doled out.
January 2007: Group abandons the BOT proposal and decides to meet Joey De Venecia's AHI group head-on with their own BOT proposal. Asec Formoso organizes a defense by creating a Technical Working Group (TWG) to evaluate the proposals of ZTE, AHI and Arescom. It comes as no surprise that the TWG comes up with a report tilted in favor of ZTE because all of the members are either TELOF or DOTC personnel, they do not want the offer of AHI since it will be implemented by the private AHI group. Group plots strategy and enlists Secretary Mendoza since Chairman Sales is a technocrat and Secretary Mendoza is a long-time ally. Group decides to move Telof back to DOTC citing the reason that CICT is a commission and cannot implement a project of this magnitude. In the end Secretary Sales signs the endorsement of the project anyway.
February 2007: TWG finishes the evaluation and hands it to the Technical Working Committee (TWC) who promptly endorses it to Secretary Mendoza. ZTE is endorsed to NEDA by both Mendoza and Sales.
Joey is not impressed and files a complaint about the ZTE proposal to whoever would listen citing the disadvantages to the government. The project at NEDA is delayed and the much needed NEDA approval is stalled. Secretary Neri does not seem to be favoring the NBN and appears to be part of the problem because he likes the AHI proposal rather than the NBN which requires a government guarantee.
March 2007: On March 8, approval of GMA is secured in order to meet the deadline for final NEDA approval by the executive. Group meets on March 12 in Wack Wack with Yu Yong and Fan Yang. They finally expand the proposed coverage to increase the amount to $329M. Joey is furious when the NBN proposal is approved and threatens to expose all the dealings that stopped his much superior proposal. Group does not appear to be worried and thinks it is just sour graping. Upon approval by the NEDA, group meets on March 28 in Wack Wack with ZTE and demands another cash advance which they got. Ruben Reyes is the designated recipient again. US$10M is again doled out.
April 2006: Group meets again in Makati Shangri-La on April 4 with Yu Yong and Fan Yang of ZTE to discuss ways of getting upfront money to finance partly the elections and some personal needs. Ruben Reyes is again designated as the recipient. US$ 30M is again doled out. Yu Yong agrees but on the condition that PGMA be present at the signing. PGMA promptly goes to China to witness the signing. FG cannot participate since he is hospitalized and Abalos is busy with the elections. Ruben Reyes takes over all of the negotiations and transfer of funds. Upon arrival from China on April 27, Secretary Mendoza and Secretary Favila visit the FG and inform him of the good news.
May 2007: Loan negotiation starts.
Blog: www.ellentordesillas.com
Email address: ellentordesillas@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tragic February
Landscape
Gemma Cruz Araneta
The Battle for Manila which took place in the whole month of February in 1945 was fought by the advancing armed forces of the United States of America and the defending Japanese Imperial forces towards the end of World War II. That infamous battle killed one hundred thousand (100,000) non-combatant civilians and destroyed almost the whole of the city of Manila, then considered the "Pearl of the Orient".
For many decades, that battle was referred to as the Liberation of Manila but a few years ago, the National Historical lnstitute officially changed that to the "Battle for Manila". Although that was a historically and politically correct decision, many Filipinos still do not appreciate its importance, nor comprehend the difference between "liberation" and "battle for (not of)".
Manila is fortunate to have a mayor who has a sense of history and who respects history. Mayor Alfredo S.Lim has assigned the Manila Historical and Heritage Commission, headed by Mrs. Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, to organize the formal commemoration of the 63rd Anniversary of the Battle for Manila. During the meetings of the ad-hoc committee, it was evident that the tragic February in 1945, after more than half a century is still an extremely emotional and controversial issue. Should the commemoration be a memorial to a nation's profound bereavement or should it be a festive accolade, an amnesiac embracing of former foes in the spirit of globalization? Let us forgive but never forget!
What we seem to have forgotten, or more precisely, what we have systematically been made to forget is another tragic February of more than a century ago. On 4 February 1899, the Philippine-American War broke out, lasted for thirteen years during which a million Filipinos died and the first republic in Asia was crushed.
It can be argued that both Februaries were devastating to the life and future of the Filipino
nation. We lost lives in the most horrendous fashion during the Battle for Manila and the Philippine-American War, not only that, we also lost heritage structures, public works painstakingly built, entire towns and cities disfigured by hamletting and "reconcentracion"; we also lost institutions, the "brains of the nation", " la crema y nata" or the best and the brightest.
Most painful is our memory loss, national amnesia now chronic and in epidemic proportions. Very few Filipinos do not even know what they should remember of the two tragic Februaries. Let us commemorate both at the Freedom Triangle of Manila's City Hall, at eight o'clock this Sunday.
(gemma601@yahoo.com).
Gemma Cruz Araneta
The Battle for Manila which took place in the whole month of February in 1945 was fought by the advancing armed forces of the United States of America and the defending Japanese Imperial forces towards the end of World War II. That infamous battle killed one hundred thousand (100,000) non-combatant civilians and destroyed almost the whole of the city of Manila, then considered the "Pearl of the Orient".
For many decades, that battle was referred to as the Liberation of Manila but a few years ago, the National Historical lnstitute officially changed that to the "Battle for Manila". Although that was a historically and politically correct decision, many Filipinos still do not appreciate its importance, nor comprehend the difference between "liberation" and "battle for (not of)".
Manila is fortunate to have a mayor who has a sense of history and who respects history. Mayor Alfredo S.Lim has assigned the Manila Historical and Heritage Commission, headed by Mrs. Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, to organize the formal commemoration of the 63rd Anniversary of the Battle for Manila. During the meetings of the ad-hoc committee, it was evident that the tragic February in 1945, after more than half a century is still an extremely emotional and controversial issue. Should the commemoration be a memorial to a nation's profound bereavement or should it be a festive accolade, an amnesiac embracing of former foes in the spirit of globalization? Let us forgive but never forget!
What we seem to have forgotten, or more precisely, what we have systematically been made to forget is another tragic February of more than a century ago. On 4 February 1899, the Philippine-American War broke out, lasted for thirteen years during which a million Filipinos died and the first republic in Asia was crushed.
It can be argued that both Februaries were devastating to the life and future of the Filipino
nation. We lost lives in the most horrendous fashion during the Battle for Manila and the Philippine-American War, not only that, we also lost heritage structures, public works painstakingly built, entire towns and cities disfigured by hamletting and "reconcentracion"; we also lost institutions, the "brains of the nation", " la crema y nata" or the best and the brightest.
Most painful is our memory loss, national amnesia now chronic and in epidemic proportions. Very few Filipinos do not even know what they should remember of the two tragic Februaries. Let us commemorate both at the Freedom Triangle of Manila's City Hall, at eight o'clock this Sunday.
(gemma601@yahoo.com).
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