Abalos lawyers warn: ZTE whistle-blowers may face perjury raps

MANILA, Philippines - The lawyer of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. warned key witnesses in the national broadband network (NBN) scam that they would file perjury charges against people who would make false and damaging testimonies on the graft complaint against the former poll official.

Salvador Panelo, one of Abalos’ lawyers, told The STAR that the alleged fabricated statements of whistleblowers Jose de Venecia III and Rodolfo Lozada Jr. would be the basis for the filing of perjury charges.

Abalos was charged with graft at the Sandiganbayan after he was accused of brokering for the Chinese firm ZTE Corp. that was eventually awarded the contract for the $329-million NBN project that was intended to set up an Internet network that would link government agencies nationwide.

The former Comelec chairman was also accused of offering former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Romulo Neri a P200-million bribe to approve the NBN-ZTE contract that former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was forced to cancel following the public outcry over the anomalous deal.

De Venecia and Lozada attended the arraignment of Abalos at the Sandiganbayan where the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and expressed confidence that his name would be cleared.

Neri is also facing graft charges at the Sandiganbayan for his alleged involvement in the NBN-ZTE anomaly.

Panelo said that perjury charges would be filed against De Venecia and Lozada once the charges against Abalos have been dismissed.

“When the case filed against Mr. Abalos has terminated resulting to his acquittal, we would be filing perjury charges as well as damage suits (against them) for all the lies and fabrications,” he said after hearing De Venecia say that he is confident that Abalos would be jailed.

Panelo said the testimonies of both De Venecia and Lozada at the Senate, which they will reiterate during the graft trial, have damaged the reputation of their client “and caused anguish and suffering to the members of his (Abalos) family.”

De Venecia, son of former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., is one of the prosecution’s main witnesses against Abalos.

The young De Venecia refused to comment on the plan to file perjury charges against him and instead appealed to both accused to reveal the truth.

“Personally, I am calling on Chairman Abalos and Secretary Neri to use this time and very important moment to be truthful in what they know about the NBN-ZTE contract,” he said.

“They are not beholden to the (former) president. Being private citizens, they are free to speak and bare what they know so that the public may know the truth. They also don’t have now the pressure hanging over their heads from the president,” De Venecia III said, referring to former president Arroyo.

He said the NBN scandal is larger than the two of them and therefore, in whatever forum, be it in the Sandiganbayan or the court of public opinion, they should make a serious attempt to be truthful.

“What I said in the Senate, I will say at the Sandiganbayan. My expectation is that Chairman Abalos and Secretary Neri clearly state what they know, what their role is, who were the principal beneficiaries of this attempted corrupt contract,” De Venecia stressed.