SENATOR MAR ROXAS' STATEMENT ON
RESCINDING OF NBN/ZTE CONTRACT

"President Arroyo acted wisely in canceling the ZTE contract. This will save the nation from further international embarrassment and domestic turmoil. This project should never have been started nor approved in the first place.

"The Procurement Law has to be improved by ensuring all government projects have to go through bidding and/or check and balance processes. The Senate trade committee which I chair shall continue to pursue this issue in aid of legislation.

"We need to tighten the approval process for foreign-aided and funded projects to protect the people's money, and prevent this politico-diplomatic fiasco from ever happening again.

"Cancellation is the appropriate action given that:

I. The NBN is not our priority right now;

II. What was approved was contrary to the government's policy of no loans, no government guarantees, private sector driven and user pay;

III. Full transparency in all government procurement; and

IV. The issue has been surrounded by bribery charges and controversy."