Neri confirms ‘bribe’ offer from Abalos

Thursday, 28 October 2010 00:00

By John Constantine G. Cordon, Reporter

Former Socio-economic and Planning Secretary Romulo Neri testified on Wednesday at the trial of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. for his involvement in the controversial national broadband network (NBN) project.

Neri, a prosecution witness, told the court that the former electoral chief offered him “200”—P200 million—during tee-off meetings at the Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.

He said that Abalos, whom he never met before, visited his office sometime between December 2006 and January 2007, to invite him to play golf and discuss “business matters.”

The former SSS chief recalled that it was on one such occasion that Abalos offered a P200 million bribe in connection with the NBN project, despite the fact that the “Comelec has no official connection with” it.

Since the deal’s disclosure to the media, it has been reported that Abalos “interceded and brokered” the P330-million project between the Philippine government and China’s Zhing Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Inc. Corp.

He said that although “[he] cannot recall how [Abalos] mentioned it,” Abalos told him that he has “200.”

The justices presiding over the case grilled Neri for not clarifying what the amount exactly stood for.

“You didn’t ask [Abalos] what was the 200 was? It could be 200 yards, 200 golf shares or 200 chairs?” Associate Justice Samuel Martires asked Neri.

Neri said that he could not make sense of the “200” because his “focus was more on the golf game.”

He later added that his “initial impression” of the number was “P200 million,” prompting the judges to probe further.

“If your mind was focused more on the game, then what gave you the impression that the ‘200’ was 200 million?” one asked.

Neri said that 200 “million” was his initial impression because Abalos could have mentioned the NBN deal during the course of their golf meetings even before he was allegedly bribe.

“I was looking at the ratio and proportion of the project and was referring [its] size. The NBN deal was a big project,” he said.

Neri added that, in the end, “he simply ignored the [Abalos’ offer].”

Asked if he remembered opening up and discussing the broadband project with Abalos during their golf meetings, Neri replied that he did not.

As the former director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Neri said that he was tasked to oversee foreign-assisted projects for evaluation and approval.

He added that the broadband project was already under technical review in February 2007.

Neri said that he sought eventual whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada to be a technical consultant because “NEDA [doesn’t] have any money for consultants. We’ve never hired technical consultants.”

The NEDA board, where Neri was the vice-chairman and former Pres. Gloria Arroyo was the chairman, approved and certified the broadband project on March 29, 2007, h said.

However, Mrs. Arroyo aborted the project because of the controversies that resulted following the deal’s revelation.

Throughout Neri’s testinony, Abalos was seen shaking his head disapprovingly.

In an ambush interview following the trial, Abalos said he did not mention “200.”

“Did I say I mentioned it? Don’t put words into my mouth. Am I in the witness stand?” Abalos added.