Palace denies hand in Abalos acquittal

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang yesterday belied the accusations of whistle-blower Rodolfo Lozada Jr. that the government merely used him in prosecuting former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos in connection with the national broadband network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corporation.

Lozada, former technical adviser to then socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri, had revealed that Abalos took $130 million in kickbacks for brokering the information technology deal signed in April 2007.

Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo later scrapped the project following allegations of corruption.

Invoking separation of powers between the executive and judicial branches of government, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said there is due process and the basis of the courts in arriving at a decision is always sufficient evidence.