Prelate Lauds Move to Summon Arroyo on $329-million ZTE Deal

MANILA, Sept. 7, 2010-An arch critic of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo said he cannot wait to see the former president testify in the graft trial against one of her officials implicated on the botched multi-million dollar national broadband network (NBN) project.

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz said that Arroyo's testimony could pressure Romulo Neri, the National Economic and Development Authority director general during her term, to disclose what he really knows about the controversial project.

"This is something nice to watch. What happens next? What will the First Couple say? What will Neri say? If Neri gets upset, he might blurt out what he really knows," said Cruz.

Assistant Special Prosecutor John Turalba yesterday announced that Arroyo would be asked to clarify the extent of Neri's involvement in the deal with China's ZTE Corp. once the trial starts on October 13.

Neri is facing graft charges for his alleged involvement in the $329-million NBN deal that the Arroyo administration entered-and later cancelled-with China's ZTE Corp. in 2007.

Turalba added that former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo may also be summoned to answer allegations linking him to the deal.

Cruz, though, said he continues to believe that Neri is the less guilty party in the controversial project as previously revealed by earlier probes.

"Something seems wrong. I thought the principals are the husband and wife and Neri is an accessory," he said. "Come on, there is something here I still cannot understand."

To recall, Neri was the one who approved the project but has strongly refused to divulge any information on what he and Arroyo discussed prior to it by invoking the principle of executive privilege. (CBCPNews)