Maza, Bondoc testify vs GMA

MANILA, Philippines - Former lawmaker Liza Maza and STAR columnist Jarius Bondoc testified for the prosecution in the graft case against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo involving the national broadband network deal at the Sandiganbayan yesterday.

Maza testified as a complainant, while Bondoc took the witness stand as one of those who exposed the alleged anomaly in 2007.

Bondoc testified for the second time on the information given to him that the botched $329-million contract was grossly overpriced.

Speaking to reporters, Lawrence Arroyo, the former president’s legal counsel, said the testimonies were hearsay evidence.

“It was all hearsay, they heard it from other people,” he said.

“They don’t have any personal knowledge on the deal but based only what other people, specifically from the opposing side, had told them.”

Maza said her other source of information on her complaint was her conversations with former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and his son, Joey, the losing bidder in the broadband project.

During cross-examination, Maza told Ruy Rondain, counsel of former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, that she did not clarify the allegations with any of the accused.

She and the other complainants did not include De Venecia and son as respondents because they believe “they were not directly involved.”

A Senate investigation found that Joey de Venecia had violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act because his company, Amsterdam Holdings Inc. filed a proposal for the NBN project even when his father was speaker.