KIKO BACKS ARREST OF NERI, LOZADA

"The arrest is long overdue, our people deserve the truth!" Senate Majority Leader and Independent senator Kiko Pangilinan today expressed support for the motions of senators Enrile and Lacson causing the arrest of NEDA Chief

Romulo Neri and Phil Forest Corp. chief executive officer Roberto Lozada due to their failure to appear as witnesses to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation on the ZTE NBN deal.

"The Blue-ribbon committee must assert its authority and power over non-cooperative witnesses. Neri and Lozada asked for this It cannot allow itself to be held hostage by the continued non-appearance of witnesses. We cannot allow the non attendance of witnesses to undermine the institution' s constitutional duty to act as a check & balance on other branches of government, "Kiko said.

Lozada left for Hong Kong two hrs before the Senate resumed its inquiry today on the anomalous $329-million broadband deal entered by government with China's ZTE Corp.Lozada was reportedly appointed by Neri as technical consultant for the contract.

"We have exercised our powers of contempt in 3 different committee hearings in the past 4 years and in all instances we have been upheld by the SC. In the ermita, sabio and standard chartered bank cases the SC upheld our powers to cite witnesses in contempt of the senate and have them arrested or detained. The arrest orders are long overdue," Kiko added.

"This should serve as a warning to other witnesses who may think twice before obeying a summons from the senate. We will enforce our rules to accomplish our constitutional duty and that includes arresting those who unjustly refuse to cooperate.

In the end Neri and Lozada only have themselves to blame for defying a lawful order of the Senate. Their freedom is in their hands by simply complying with the order to appear and to testify. Finally, if a crime has been committed in the ZTE NBN broadband deal the committee must get the witnesses to testify and those involved regardless of who they are, are made to account. Our people deserve the truth," Kiko ended.