Romy Neri the wimp

(Romy Neri with his Presidentita...BFF! Photo from The Philippine Star)

ATENEo/UP technocrat Romulo "Romy" Neri will go down in Philippine history as the man who could have, but didn't. He could have stopped all this moro-moro, put an end to the shenanigans in this corrupt government of his Presidentita GMA, could have saved taxpayers a lot of money by ending the Senate hearings, etc., but alas, didn't.

He shirked away from his patriotic duty and lost his balls possibly while he had the runs last week. Oh sorry, did someone say his balls are well taken cared of? Oh excuse me...that's probably why he wouldn't talk...the Presidentita knows all about it.

Well, as I said earlier, Romy Neri should never have been given the post of NEDA director-general in the first place. He has no backbone to speak of unlike his predecessors Winnie Monsod, Ciel Habito, and Dante Canlas. Those guys were honest to the core (okay forget about Habito and the voice of God stint) and would not be swayed by any of Malacañang's exertions. They never lied about the true state of the economy, unlike this guy Neri who has led all the government agencies in charge of economic policy and statistics to massage the country's growth figures. We journalists have a term for a similar kind of reporting...SS (go ask your media friends what it means). With Neri's personal background, we're not at all surprised. (Gads, wasn't it super annoying how he kept on turning to his alalays for each and every question asked of him? Ano ba?! How the hell did you become a Cabinet Secretary?!)

Okay give the guy a medal anyway for confirming that Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos did offer him a bribe of P200 (pesos? thousand? million? billion? pesos or dollars?). But by claiming executive privilege on the other parts of the conversation he had with his Presidentita after he made sumbong about Abalos' bribe try, he was merely protecting her dastardly deeds (how could she not know what was going on with a big effing deal costing $340 million?).

By running away from the truth, Neri has singlehandedly destroyed the credibility of NEDA, a government agency tasked to assess all major government projects and monitor the implementation and use of overseas development assistance. He even allowed his Presidentita to take over its oversight functions. (A text message from a former DG: "Deliberate 'yan: Destroy NEDA's oversight function so the plunder agenda would meet no resistance.") I can imagine the frustration of all the hardworking good people over there.

Unlike Joey de Venecia who stood up to his father with the immortal words, "Pop, do you really want me to stand aside while the Filipino people are robbed of $200 million?” (as quoted by Boo Chanco), Neri stood by his Presidentita and allowed her and her minions to get away with murder. Maybe Neri just stayed too long at the Congressional Planning Budget Office, he probably got infected by the slimy ways of the congressmen. May you be cursed with the runs for the rest of your life, you wimp!

Meanwhile, it really frustrates me to listen to our supposedly esteemed senators rant about the proposed National Broadband Network and the ZTE deal when they can't even tell the difference between broadband, bandwith, IP, Voip! Pwede ba, mag-research naman kayo before attending the hearings? Can't you just google the goddamned terms? Or better yet, consult real IT experts. How dare you people go to your hearings unprepared against someone like DOTC Asec. Lorenzo Formoso. Grabeh, you guys sound like idiots! Grrr! (A basta, idol ko si Kap! K.)

And this is why La Salle will win the game today versus Ateneo. Animo La Salle! (pwede ba pagbigyan nyo na ko, blog ko 'to noh?)

Will he or won't he?

THE guessing game around town these days seems to be whether or not former NEDA director-general Romy Neri will be appearing at the Senate hearing tomorrow. We understand the intense pressure that Sec. Neri must be under, thus, his no-show twice. His first reason was that he needed to get permission from his presidentita GMA. The next was that he was suffering from intentional, este, intestinal flu.

Then yesterday there was this whole drama of whether or not he would be joining his presidentita on her trip to the U.S. What is the presidentita afraid of pa ba...e bukong-buko na sya at ang kanyang mga tuta sa ginawa nila sa NBN-ZTE deal? Ang dudupang nyo kasi e!

Well the resolution of this issue rests squarely on the shoulders of Romy Neri. He has already given our colleague Jarius Bondoc a lot of background on the deal, it's time for the good Secretary to come right out in the open and just tell the Senate what he knows. By keeping quiet, he is the one fanning the flames of the controversy.

Btw, those who want to turn the 'AB-ZTE-FG' video clip below into an MP3 ringtone for your cellphone can just click on this online converter. Fun!

AB-ZTE-FG clip

FOR your entertainment...

NBN-ZTE deal suspended!

HERE'S the report from GMA News:




Suspended lang? Why not cancel it altogether? E 'di ba talagang na-suspend naman yan ng Supreme Court? Duh!

As in our previous experience with the GMA administration regarding tainted government projects, this gives them a chance to resurrect the NBN-ZTE deal in the future, possibly in a different form and under a different name but with the same corruption-riddled components. After all, how can they not push through with the project when so much bribes have been made already to the key government officials who have been pushing this project? You think these people will return the monies already paid to them? For all we know, the tainted monies are no longer here but in some Swiss government accounts! Oh! Is that why someone hastily left for Europe recently? Hmmm...

I'm glad the Senate will still continue its probe despite the project suspension. We wait with bated breath on what Sec. Romy Neri will say. Word has it that he has beefed up his security...obviously there are some powerful people up there who want to shut him up. We need to get to the bottom of this controversy and have some closure. Some heads do have to roll. We only ask the good Senators to please listen to your colleagues so you don't waste time repeating their questions?! Nakakairita e.

Click here for Sen. MAR Roxas' reaction.

As for the guy below, he's trying to claim credit for the suspension of the ZTE deal...ang kapal talaga! Like didn't Speaker de Venecia say it earlier this week? Another winner from GMA News:

Holiday ba?

IF you were one of the thousands watching the second day hearing of the Senate investigation into the national broadband network (NBN)-ZTE deal on TV yesterday, you would have probably been surprised with all the pala that Transportation Secretary Leonard Mendoza brought along. Imagine almost the entire Cabinet in attendance including the top gun Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita! Government holiday ba? OA nyo! Even Sen. MAR Roxas was surprised at his former colleagues' presence. What's so important about the deal that the entire government yesterday screeched to a halt?! Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Anyway, I texted my favorite government official yesterday to tell him that apparently he was the only one working among his colleagues yesterday. Sarcastically, he answered, "Bakit kaya?" Hmmm...

But TV or not, it was mighty obvious who among the government officials present were lying through their teeth. Almost everyone there committing perjury. Bilib na sana ako ke Asec. Lorenzo Formoso because he really knew his IT stuff. Then he blinked. And made pa-cute about going to Wack-Wack only for weddings and socials. He said it twice, thrice. Too rehearsed my friend. T'was too obvious. Take a cue from the Superstar Ate Guy...play it down. Underact. Next time you might be believable.

Teves confirms Abalos involvement in ZTE deal. (Photo from PDIC)

The only credible Cabinet Secretary up there was Finance Secretary Gary Teves. I have only utmost respect for this man, and I hope this is not misplaced. But at least he did confirm that Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos did bring the ZTE officials to his home. E bakit? What's Abalos' business facilitating meetings like that? And then again at Wack-Wack, over dinner with Sec. Mendoza. This was a very important item that today's newspapers overlooked. Even if Abalos says, he just made introductions, it's still inappropriate behavior since the businessmen were proposing a project. It was confirmation that Abalos was involved in the deal from the start. E kung hindi nga ba talaga... Ang tawag d'yan walang finesse. Amateur! Hay naku!

Well, I hope former Neda Sec. Gen. Romy Neri takes the stand next week. He is the only other Cabinet official who was closest to the ZTE issue as his Neda staff was the one which evaluated the NBN project and the proposed ZTE deal. And I've covered Neda. Its staff are one of the best in government. Poorly paid but highly efficient. Guys whose hearts are in the right place. So very objective. I can't vouch though for Neri's credibility. Actually, after Dante Canlas, I think the subsequent Neda Sec. Gens pale in comparison to the previous people who've held that post. Well, poor Romy Neri had the runs...but hasn't he heard of Lomotil? Or apple juice! Ano ba?!

Anyway, as for Luli Arroyo's outburst re: JDV III, pagbigyan nyo na. It's but natural she's protecting her father. Daddy's girl 'yan, anu? Even JDV III is doing the same for his father, Speaker de Venecia. And between us girls, both their dads aren't exactly the paragons of virtue we would all like to emulate right? But family is family and you just have to stick together and overlook certain unpleasant behavior among your relatives. Besides...ang mana! hellow?!

Mr. Arroyo met, did not intimidate Joey de Venecia—lawyer

MANILA, Philippines – Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo confirmed through his lawyer on Wednesday that he met Jose "Joey" de Venecia III in a "purely chance encounter" at a golf clubhouse but denied ordering him to "back off" from the national broadband network (NBN) deal.

Jesus Santos, lawyer and spokesperson of the President's husband, said Mr. Arroyo did meet De Venecia III in mid-March but his version of the story differed greatly from that of Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr.'s son.

For one, Arroyo denied berating de Venecia and ordering him to pull out of the national broadband deal in favor of the eventual winner, China’s ZTE Corp., allegedly upon brokering by Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. (More at Inquirer. Photo from AP/BBC)

A tangled web of lies you weave, First Gentleman. And I suppose there were waiters around who could corroborate your statement? Ang tagal nyo na nga pinag-isipan, ang tanga pa din ng sagot nyo?! Gee, Homer is that you?

It stinks!

Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. is accused of brokering the deal between the DOTC and ZTE for the government's national broadband network project. (Photo from Wikepedia)

THAT'S what I think of the ZTE deal. It's not that ZTE isn't a reputable company, because it is. It is one of the fastest growing firms in China and its leadership in the telecommunications arena in those parts are well known. Heck, my own Internet box is a ZTE so I know it is a real company that does business and not just some fly-by-night operation.

But the way by which the contract (is it really missing or is someone just trying to hide it?) or the deal has been made is all too suspicious. First of all, do we need a national broadband network? Issues have been raised for and against the establishment of one. I don't exactly understand the point of the government in building an NBN since the country is already wired by private companies. Why is government sticking its nose in what is basically, a private sector acctivity? Now if the government had proposed to Wi-fi the entire country (as what California is trying to do), then I can give this contract a second thought.

Second, why is Comelect Commissioner Benjamin Abalos even involved in this deal? As usual he, like many government oficials before him, lacks delicadeza, and no matter how he explains it away, his involvement is dubious. (Aba, baka ma-Erap din sya!) Btw, what about the talk that Abalos is one government official who can be found anywhere except his office because he holds court at the Wack-Wack Golf & Country Club all the time? Hmmm...

It this ZTE deal another fast one the Arroyo administration is trying to pull on the Filipino people and on investors? First it was the Jancom incinerator deal that President Arroyo tried to approve despite previous presidents not signing the contract. It was a $380 million project that underwent a questionable bidding process and escalated in cost as so many goons started getting into the act and trying to get their kickbacks as well. Which reminds me, wasn't Abalos, as chairman of the MMDA then, also trying to get this Jancom project approved?

Second it was the NAIA Terminal 3 project where Arroyo's henchmen again tried to bilk the project proponents, asking to be paid $300 million so Fraport AG, operator of one of the busiest international airports in the world, would be allowed to manage the new terminal. The government questioned Fraport's partner, Piatco (PairCargo), ability to build the project when it was already 98% complete and ready to open! (I was one of the very first journalists who went inside the terminal and toured it in the month it was supposed to open.) And to think no government money was spent on building the terminal! Btw, the Arroyo government's takeover of the NAIA 3 is the primary reason the Presidentita can never set foot in Germany.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza refuses to answer questions on controversial ZTE broadband deal. (Photo from OPS)

And now here comes the ZTE deal where a public bidding was supposedly held, according to DOTC Secretary Leonardo Mendoza, but the contract was awarded to a company where the government would incur a loan from the Chinese government, whereas another proponent, Amsterdam Holdings Inc., had offered to build the NBN at no cost to the government! Hey I'm no fan of Speaker de Venecia and his family either but his son raises very valid points. The bribery allegations are the most damaging to Abalos and with his debatable conduct as Comelec chairman especially during the Garci scandal makes us believe there is something not quite right about him.

For sure, the Arroyo government is just trying play nice to our powerful neighbor to the north. After all, the Philippines can't rely on the US government forever. Its assistance to the Philippines is dwindling and American investors are choosing other Asian countries to sink their monies in. So the Arroyo government is looking to China for more investments, more aid, and tourism business. I don't oppose this tack, but all business contracts with the government must be above-board and open to scrutiny, no matter which country is involved. Instead, all the Arroyo administration has been doing is to stone-wall and try to hide behind the "sub-judice" reason so as not to explain the deal to Congress. These are simple questions that just need simple, direct-to-the point answers. But our esteeemed government officials refuse to answer. How can GMA and her henchmen even expect us, the public, to trust them?