MikeLigalig.com

By Bingo Dejaresco III
The Bohol Chronicle

Should our fellow Boholanos be proud as a people for one of our own?

Last Wednesday, former NEDA Chief, Romulo Neri - a Boholano - confirmed under oath that he was offered a P200-million bribe by perceived "chief broker" Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos of the controversial NBN-ZTE US$330-million deal. There were attempts to obfuscate the issue because Abalos merely said" "Sec, may 200 ka dito" (Secretary, you have 200 here).

Accordingly, it could mean many things, the Abalos Chorus chimed. Spoken when they were alone together in a golf cart in Wack Wack Golf Club, the conversation immediately before that "offer" was about the NBN-ZTE Deal. It would be ridiculous if he meant 200 golf balls or P200,000 for a deal that is as huge as China's geography is. That can only mean P 200-Million (US$5Million). Even the slightly mentally deranged patients in Abalos' home city of Mandaluyong understand that all too well.

If that is true - as well as the allegation of ZTE rival (Joey de Venecia) that the First Genetleman Mike Arroyo pointedly (literally, now) asked him to "back off the deal" at the Wack Wack Golf Club (where Abalos is president) - then the ZTE stench that smells now -from Aparri to Jolo - will be linked to the Palace (or at least to FG).

The very act of Secretary Romulo Neri to rat (squeal) on a fellow Cabinet Official with an attempted bribe as high as that - and considering Abalos’ importance to the Arroyo presidency - is already an act of Class A courage. His shielding behind "Executive Privilege" not to spill the beans that would link the Palace directly - through his direct testimony - is a calculated gambit - the seasoned bureaucrat is not that stupid. He is among the smartest there is.


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