Global Pinoy for Better Philippines

 The last time I wrote about NBN-ZTE was in October of last year. It’s been five months and the issue is far from over. Many personalities have been dragged to the issue but the investigation is leading everyone nowhere.

After listening to all statements, accusations and denials, I still believe that the project is good. It is Joey and his recently ousted Speaker of the House-father that messed up the whole thing to serve their personal purposes. In my own personal analysis, the de Venecias have been dipping their fingers to many government projects many years back. The father corners the project and the son works on the background. The father was in power for 12 long years and  still refuses to let go to the point of backstabbing his good friend/kumare Gloria. The son concealed his identity when he applied AHI to the NBN project but later freely announced his ownership despite the fact that his name did not appear on its registration documents. Both actions suggested there’s something fishy under the table. And yet they’re both very articulate in accusing Gloria of corruption. Well, if ever Gloria is, so are they!

Back to NBN-ZTE, I have a feeling that  Lozada and the deVenecias have  convinced Neri to back their NBN-BOT scheme before the end of 2006. Neri on his part was also able to convince the President to support their scheme that’s why the President has announced during the NEDA Board meeting in November 2006 that she wanted the project run by the private sector with no expense from the government. Early 2007 , however, Neri changed his mind and endorsed the NBN-ZTE and there seems to be a missing link between Neri’s change of position which is really mind boggling and has drawn many speculations and in fact, accusations against the President. This has become the main reason why the Senate investigation has not been concluded up to now. I can only guess that the missing link is the offer of China to corner the deal and the counter offer by the government which was well on its way where it not for the  cancellation of the deal as a result of Joey and Lozada’s crying foul  in public.

Based on what has been presented to the Senate by both parties, I am more inclined to believe the side of ZTE. Their proposed $329M will cover the entire country down to all barangays while Joey’s  AHI-BOT will only cover 80% which would exclude 5th and 6th class municipalities. ZTE’s offer was partly grant and partly social loan at 3% interest per annum payable in 30 years while Joey’s BOT would be privately funded but likewise operated and later transfered to the government. If I were the project analyst, I would readily go for the ZTE’s offer first because of the coverage it offers, 2nd because of the technical assistance package (grant), 3rd because of the very easy terms of payment, and lastly because it will be managed outright by the government. Communications and transportation facilities are basic public services that should be ran or regulated by the government especially that internet has no barriers. It would be very risky for the government to allow private sector to run a public service that have no boundaries. And this aside from the fact that Joey seems to be backed up by another Chinese company he has long been in association with. For one, Joey’s AHI has no sufficient capital back-up for the project. This is again very risky because we are not aware of their secret deals unlike with the ZTE which is now an open book. But the de Venecia’s have succeeded in nipping the project in the bud. Their apparent and obvious association with the opposition who has a grind to axe against the President is really a well planned strategy and they seem to have gained momentum. But really, the good side of the President seem to be weighing more. Despite all the combined efforts of those that openly despise the President, still they do not succeed. The Lozada popularity was such a lofty and fleeting status. If the Senate is really honest in their intention to guard the reins of the government and the welfare of the people what they could probably do is to seek independent budget estimates for the NBN project in order to assess whether there is really an overprice. We need not go far and risk the credibility of the country by broadcasting to the senate for all the world to know, all the ills of this government. We can do it without necessarily burning our house down.

After reading the Statement of Joey de Venecia, the Statement of Abalos and the ZTE Supply Contract all submitted to the Senate, I have come to the conclusion that Joey de Venecia has been telling a lie with his statement obviously sanitized to suit an opinion that Malacañang has been cooking an anomalous transaction with regard to NBN Project. In fairness to the government, I couldn’t find a trail that would lead to a dubious transaction except those enumerated by Joey de Venecia involving himself and Abalos. But Abalos seem to be nearer to the truth because while Joey continuously denied being in association with Abalos, he also narrated the many times he attended meeting with Abalos at the latter’s office in Comelec and Wack Wack. Abalos seems to be correct in saying that it was Joey who was pursuing him because the venues of the meetings were all in his place. If indeed Joey did not agree with Abalos’ offer (assuming he really had) why would Joey attend many meetings with Abalos including going with him to China?.

This is my own side of story. The ZTE Supply Contract was already a done deal even before PGMA’s SONA last July 2006 because the MOU was signed around that time. What happened between July 2006 to April 21, 2007 (the official signing of the Supply Contract with ZTE in China) were all groundworking and refinements of the Contract including the approval of the NBN Project by NEDA. The Contract was between the Governments of China and the Philippines and ZTE was assigned by the Chinese Government to supply the materials needed by the NBN Project, ZTE being China government’s owned and controlled Corporation. It was a case of Top to Bottom Planning where the evaluation of the proposals were suited to the ZTE deal already. In fairness, there are no indications of anomalous transaction among the President’s trusted men except the Php200M offered by Abalos to Neri which was maybe because Neri was for BOT and not for a loan as was proposed by the Government of China.

 During these times however, Joey tried to steal the deal by submitting his own concept which was a BOT Scheme. This was based on the pronouncements by PGMA during the November Meeting of ICC that she wanted NBN to be a BOT, private sector led, no government subsidy and should reduce gov’t telecom expenses. To accommodate the President, DOTC accepted the proposal submitted by AHI thru Joey. It was during this  time when the trouble begun. As alleged by Joey, Abalos proposed to partner with Joey and AHI with Abalos covering the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th class municipalities. But later in the meeting Joey discovered that Abalos was backing ZTE and allegedly told Joey to drop his proposal in favor of the ZTE. When Joey declined, he offered a partnership between AHI and ZTE. (There is inconsistency here because “How could Abalos propose an alliance with AHI but at the same time back ZTE?  This statement of Joey gave him away and I am inclined to believe that it was really Joey who approached Abalos and offered an alliance between ZTE and AHI in exchange of the US$10M. Joey continuously asserts in his statements that he did not agree with this proposed partnership but all his succeeding revelations of meeting with Abalos and ZTE lead to a conclusion that he brokered the alliance but their talks broke down somewhere along the way. According to the DOTC evaluation report, Joey’s proposal required that the Philippine government should have its own VoIP. The ZTE on the other hand will provide the package including technical assistance that’s why the project should go to ZTE.

To me, it was Joey DV who messed up the whole project.

I used to admire the Sr. Pimentel. He was my choice to replace Ramos in 1997. I looked up at him as a principled statesman and respected political leader until he joined Estrada’s bandwagon last 2004 Presidential Elections and openly castigated Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Even more disgusting was when his Jr. decided to run for the Senate in 2007 Elections and insisted he won by technicality. He turned to be a scheming traditional politician.

His joining Estrada’s camp was a complete disappointment because he was a major player in Estrada’s ouster and a prominent supporter of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when she took over the Presidency. I could have forgiven him when he turned against Arroyo at the height of the Impeachment Trial but not when he openly supported Estrada’s machinations and bad mouth as if he was a”holier than thou”.. Arroyo’s supposed cheating was never proven while Estrada is in jail.. It is so unthinkable for a supposed principled man to eat his words.

My disappointment turned to hatred when he allowed his son Koko to run for the senate. How could a man who hated Gloria for her supposed cheating ever allowed the chance for two Pimentels in the Senate? and they are both Aquilino! As if there are no other Filipinos who can do the job for the Philippines.

The Sr and Jr gagging out on Migz is another mud on their faces. Do they have proof that Migz’s parents dined out with the Comelec Chairman? Fallacy! They have been so desperate that they making  fools out of many filipinos!

..my husband ran for the position of Sangguniang Bayan member of Virac, Catanduanes for the second time, the first one was in 2004 elections. On his first try, he finished 14th of the 30++ hopefuls. We were short by about 2,000 votes to the 8th and last place. That was a good showing considering that he ran as an independent and practically operated from donations of close friends. We got the votes of the principled voters so it was alright with me.

..on his second try, however, he was already under the NPC Party of Congressman Santiago so everybody was hoping he would get the 5th to 6th place based on surveys. He was popular among principled voters and he got volunteers. Again I stood by my principle of wise voting: No vote buying. Leave it to the party to decide but not for ourselves. Afterall, the party had campaign money and we didn’t have much.

..during the campaign period people flocked at our house everyday asking for donations to schools, chapels, barangay halls, money to buy medicines, solicitations for basketball uniforms, fares back home, and even for expenses to change surnames. I would interview them before giving out few cash I can afford and they would usually curse the incumbent kagawads whom they said had done nothing to improve their communities and lives. I told them that what I was giving out was not for my husband’s political ambition but as help to the needy. My heart bled for their endless “tales” and I thought I was doing them a great great favor.

..aside from the solicitations, many groups came asking for “Ginebra San Miguel” and “Matador”. They would organize “Pulong-pulong” where candidates were invited. Of course my husband would always bring bottles of liquor. Afterall, these were what most of them expected. As days went by, I wished that the campaign period would have been over.. My pocket has nothing to bleed anymore.

..then came the much awaited elections. His friends and followers were jubilant because he topped the counting at the Poblacion. Everyone was already congratulating him some were already celebrating. But my husband finished 10th of the 30 hopefuls. He was 183 votes away from the 8th place by Namfrel count. I did not monitor the Comelec tally anymore. The figure could have been more.

..my husband did not make it and here are my realizations:

1) candidates won on combined money and popularity. Not one can go alone. Many candidates gave out as much as Php50.00 per voter but finished 12th and lower. We banked on popularity alone and still, we lost, albeit not as far as the first try. All of the incumbents gave out as much as Php100 per voter and only one did not make it. He finished 11th. My husband was more popular than he was..hahaha!

2) more voters are maturing. Using my husband’s showing as benchmark, his 4,700 votes  in 2004 is now 7,946. That was from 17% to 23% of the registered voters. Not bad!

3) but still, many voters especially in the barangays, waited for the manna before casting their votes.. those who did not receive from their bets, voted for the opponent.. three “moneyed” candidates lost despite spending millions because they thought they were already popular by spending millions for the early “projects” of groups and clans..they did not consider giving out “much” so their early catch got away..hehe.

4) actually, it couldn’t be considered vote buying anymore..it was vote selling and harassment already because voters openly threaten not to vote for the candidates who wouldn’t give in to their demands..

5) and lastly, it wasn’t the Comelec but the teachers and the members of the Board of Election Inspectors that was to blame for the human errors, deliberate or not. Proof: In one polling place place alone, we found out three erroneous returns. In one polling precinct, my husband got 5 votes  recorded at the Election Returns. We couldn’t believe it so we verified. We found out from the tally sheet that it was supposedly 35. In our own precinct, he got 8. When we verified, the tally sheet showed 76. Still in another precinct, he recorded 12. When we verified we found out he got 92. There could have been more in other polling places but what can we do? Only lawyers were entertained to question the Election Returns!

..i cannot blame Comelec for not verifying the errors because they have no idea whatsoever. They based the result from the totals as written by the BEIs. But our experiences showed some of the totals did not tally with the actual number of votes. Deliberate or not, errors are errors!

..next elections, I would only agree to field the candidacy of my husband if voting will already be automated.. and yes! I will advocate for electoral reforms..!!!