New NBN witness to surface next week

BY DENNIS GADIL

SEN. Panfilo Lacson yesterday said another witness will testify on the overpriced $329 million ZTE broadband deal when the Senate tri-committee resumes hearings next Tuesday.

He added: "We will not give you a hint (kung) sino ang testigo na yan ... wala akong sinabing sa gobyerno ito."

He said the new witness has already been summoned by the Senate.

But while keeping the identity of the new witness a secret, he had a cryptic hint: "Di masyadong malaki ang bumpers nito."

Dante Madriaga, a walk-in witness who claimed to have worked as a technical consultant for the ZTE, had described Fan Yang, ZTE's executive director and disbursing officer, as a look-alike of Sen. Loren Legarda "but with bigger bumpers."

Lacson also said the surfacing of the new witness only shows that more and more people involved in the anomalous deal are coming out.

He said while acting Higher Education chair Romulo Neri could be considered as a vital witness, there are others who could provide the Senate with equally vital information.

Neri will not attend Tuesday's hearing after the Senate turned down a compromise solution proposed by the Supreme Court, which would allow him to appear at the Senate but won't have to answer three questions about President Arroyo's involvement on the NBN-ZTE deal.

Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel said the new witness has personal knowledge of the bribery that attended the NBN contract.

He also refused to say if the person is from government or from the side of ZTE.

Senate President Manuel Villar and Sen. Manuel Roxas III welcomed the news about the new witness.

Blue Ribbon chair Alan Peter Cayetano said his committee is ready to hear the testimony of Lacson's new witness.

The Senate also issued subpoenas for ZTE vice president Yu Yong; Fan Yang; former Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos, retired Gen. Quirino "Torch" de la Torre, Leo San Miguel, and Ruben Reyes, who were tagged by Madriaga as the "Greedy Group"; and Jimmy Paz, Abalos' chief of staff.

Deputy presidential spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said she was not surprised about Lacson's new witness.

"Malamang hindi sila contented sa sinabi ni Mr. Lozada kaya pinalabas nila si Madriaga. At ngayon, hindi pa rin sila nakuntento kay Madriaga at kailangan pa nilang maghanap ng story," she said. -With Regina Bengco