Press Release
September 26, 2007

NERI A CREDIBLE AND HONEST OFFICIAL - VILLAR

Senate President Manny Villar lauded former Socio-Economic Planning Secretary and current Commission on Higher Education Chair Romulo Neri for his honest and candid statements during the Senate hearing on the controversial national broadband network deal between the Philippine government and China's ZTE Corp.

Neri said Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos told him during a golf game, "Meron kang 200 dito," referring to a hefty P200-million commission offered by Abalos to Neri in connection with the RP-ZTE deal.

The Senate President elicited the explosive statement from Neri in the early part of the hearing.

Villar, president of the Nacionalista Party, said, "I have always believed in the integrity of Neri, and the matter-of-fact and fearless statements he made during the hearing definitely contributed to our deeper understanding of the issue."

"Natitiyak naming may nagsisinungaling sa usaping ito," the Senate President said.

"We are likewise certain that the intelligent Filipino public can read between the lines and analyze the entire labyrinth," he said.

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