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Liveblogging will be at Inquirer Current

   September 20, 2007  259 Comments on Liveblogging will be at Inquirer Current

I will liveblog the Senate ZTE hearing over at Inquirer Current starting at 2:30 pm.

Click here for the liveblogging coverage: Liveblogging the cootie grooming session.

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Author: Manuel L. Quezon III
Manuel L. Quezon III.

259 thoughts on “Liveblogging will be at Inquirer Current”

  1. “It’s Konek. Whether in the Philippines or any other country in the world, the game is Konek”

    In a country and culture that doesn’t believe in the creative spirit, this is true.

  2. Hi Karl,

    Often, I find children when they are grown up are sometimes dubitative about their old men – I find that with my kids too, they think they’ve outgrown daddy or me, etc. Heh! (You’ll experience that when your own baby grows!)

  3. But seriously Karl, your old man, who’s not at all that old btw compared to Enrile and Joker, possesses vast, incredibly vast amount of hi-tech knowledge on top of which he was THE MAN responsible for putting up most of the guidelines for the modernization of the AFP. He not only knows about hi-tech but also contracts.

    This NBN deal/project/agreement/contract, etc. would be easy for him, aided by a couple or two of telephone oriented engineers can dissect this project easily.

    Your old man dealt in defence hi-tech covered by defence secret; the NBN is not; as for qualifications, he was one of the first few ones from the AFP who was exposed to the highest, most complicate defence techs in Europe C3I – this NBN project is not exactly about developing or installing nuclear plants or nuclear bombs, etc. so would prove to be far easier for your old man to check!

  4. I’m not surprised your old man is appreciated greatly. He was one of the most fair and most serious people I’ve met in govt dealing in major, truly major procurements – not only that he’s humble, NOT AT ALL MAYABANG.

    That’s why, to me, it’s easy for this govt to call on him – actually Biazon should be more aggressive in pursuing this in the Senate than he actually is doing.

    (Sorry to say this Karl, I like Sen Biazon, decent man and all but he is no match to your old man’s intellect and won’t be surprised if your old man is doing all the diligence, technical thinggies in that office!)

  6. “That’s the hocus pocus of finance.”

    Fund source: loan classification, budget, release,
    Payment: automatic appropriations

    When I sadi hocus pocus, it means window dressing the financial statements.

    Like in this project, stream of inflows to derive the net present value represents savings.

    In the first copy of the project feaisibility, the NPV is negative. Simply said, the savings to be generated is less than the cost. For a decision-maker this is a no go project.

    Back to the “drawing table”. Since there are to amounts here, the cost and the total savings, there has t o be adjustments on either of the two. Definitely, it is not the cost. Remember, comission should not be reduced. 🙂
    So the only option is to increase the total savings. And what do you do to increase the savings? you include more barangays which are assumed to benefit from the project.
    And the rest, you can read from the newspapers.

  7. cAt, the simple and honest answer is, too many senators have a baranggay police station cop mentality and not enough of a senator’s mentality. i’d reckon 90% of the basic establishing facts questions asked so far wouldn’t have been asked in, say, similar hearings in the states: they’d have established those facts and zeroed in on the really damning questions.

    Mlq3, I just love the words you used. Barangay Police Station Cop mentality. Wala na bang mababa pa sa barangay. hahahaha

  8. “Barangay police station cop mentality”. mq3.

    and, if i may add, illusions of presidential powers, in addition.

  9. MBW,

    Thanks, for remnding me about how to appreciate parents. 🙂

    btw: that supreme court ruling is not yeat through,it is still for reconsideration:

    abaya vs ebdane

    matagal nga sc decision:3 years

    pero pwede din itong maging reference to expedite zte.

  10. this just in, the ZTE deal is suspended as per Favila.

    expect calls to abandon an investigation on an “irrelevant deal”

  13. of course no explanations, no nothing. “everything i discussed with the President, is covered under executvie privilege. i have nothing more to add.”

    sheesh.

  14. “Crude but maybe it’s good enough for the “let’s move on…let her work hard…make Malacanang her prison” crowd.”

    move on by exonerating those who may have committed bribery? galeng.

  15. move on by exonerating those who may have committed bribery? galeng. – i.n.e.

    that’s where bencard’s supremacy of the rule of law routine comes in. it’s a symbiotic process that’s propping up GMA and the pathological elite she represents.

  16. FROM NEWSBREAK:

    “It looks like there was indeed an attempt to bribe former chief economic planner Romulo Neri to approve the government’s US$329-million contract for a national broadband network with the Chinese firm ZTE.

    This is how it supposedly happened. Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos approached Neri to ask for “help” with the deal, Neri then being the director of the National Economic Development Authority and chair of the Investment Coordinating Council.

    “I’ll take a look at it,” Neri reportedly replied, meaning he wanted to study the contract.

    Abalos was said to have taken that to mean that Neri was against the deal, so the elections chief quickly offered, in Filipino, “There’s 200 for you here.”

    When a shocked Neri asked what Abalos meant, the latter looked like he thought Neri was saying, “Only P200,000?” So Abalos clarified, “P200 million.” Neri was said to have thought, “What’s in this contract that they would give somebody like me P200 million to approve it?”

    Comelec chairman Benjamin AbalosAbalos didn’t physically show the money—and the conversation ended there.

    When Neri informed President Arroyo about the bribery attempt, she supposedly asked him, “What did you do?” Learning that Neri refused the offer, Ms. Arroyo allegedly said that he can forget the money but he should just go ahead and approve the contract.

    Two days later, Neri was removed from Neda to become officer in charge of the Commission on Higher Education.”

  18. Recent scandals in China that will tarnish its global image prior to the OLYMPICS:

    1) contamination of food products.

    2)lead paint in children’s toys .

    3)ZTE bribery in the Philippines

    This is a classic business morality tale. Competition by becoming a producer of commodities, seeking the lowest possible commodity price, is not a good long-term business strategy.

  19. grd, no you wouldn’t. the state rooms may be grand, but the architecture of the place after the marcos renovations in 1978 makes it a really depressing place to live., in fact, i think it is enough to trigger psychosis in any long-term tenant. seriously.

  21. “favila couldn’t explain why president changed course all of a sudden.”

    here’s my speculation: neri is ready to spill the beans, following the lashing of monsod.

  23. ZTE involved in spy software scandal in Germany!(FROM DER SPIEGEL)

    German news magazine Der Spiegel reported recently that computers in the German chancellery and the foreign, economic, and research ministries had been infected with Chinese spyware software, and German officials say they believe the hackers were linked to China’s People’s Liberation Army.

    “The ability of Huawei and ZTE to participate in, let alone win, telecom infrastructure tenders in the Western hemisphere may have lessened considerably following last week’s shock report,” writes Lindberg in a research note issued Monday. “It could trigger a return to national security clearance when it comes to procurement of telecom networks,” he adds.

  25. FROM NEWSBREAK:

    Now, how did we(NEWBREAK) learn of this story?

    A politician thought he was one of a few confidantes to whom Neri bared his soul, sharing this juicy, insider story. Imagine his surprise when, a day or so later, the politician found out that others in and outside of government knew about Neri’s close encounter with Abalos. Our own contacts learned about this story from Neri himself, too.

    One of our colleagues likened Neri to a broken-hearted lover, who has to unburden himself as a form of therapy so he can finally move on. We have called this the “Romy Neri moment.”

    In public, Neri has chosen not to confirm or deny this bribe try. But with the number of confidantes he has unburdened to, the story has already taken a life of its own.

  26. so you see bencard, even if you don’t believe solita, i would still believe her source is even more reliable than joey.

    long and short of it: joey may indeed be telling the truth!

  27. So, Cat, do you really believe the G8, all 8 countries of them, will do what Devils is hoping they will do?

  29. Tita emilie:If Neri is not “sick” and attends the Senate hearing next week and you see Solita in the gallery,expect “fireworks”.

    Don’t give up on Neri!

  32. “Secretary to the Cabinet Ricardo Saludo recently echoed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s call for the nation to move on.”

    Saludo:Move on to WHAT

  34. Two Christmases ago, a European printer that supplied 80 million P100 bills misspelled President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s name as “Gloria Macapagal-Arrovo.”

    GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROVO:mas bagay yata!

  35. I’m glad that, as Ricky reported, Neri is still committed to testify on Wednesday.

    His security detail has been augmented.

  36. so if neri testifies and spills the beans, will it finally generate the feeling of outrage from those self-proclaimed right thinking “move on crowd”? so far they are still in denial w/ the exception of course of winnie monsod.

    interesting developments in the in the lower house: allies of jdv said, “Oust JDV, we impeach Gloria.” http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=93468

    who will blink first?

  37. so, if neri testifies and spills the beans, will it finally generate the feeling of outrage from those self-proclaimed right thinking “move on crowd”? so far they are still in denial w/ the exception of course of winnie monsod.

    interesting developments in the in the lower house: allies of jdv said, Oust JDV, we impeach Gloria. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=93468

    who will blink first?

  38. I wonder: Is the politician-confidante of Neri mentioned by Newsbreak his UP classmate Manny Villar?

  39. Bencard the lawyer didn’t see the live telecast of the hearing but he has drawn all sorts of conclusions about Joey de Venecia from seconf hand sources. Now as lawyers say, HEARSAY lang ang pinababasehan mo.

  40. Ohe of the most memorable lines in the arrival speech of Ninoy:

    “On one of the long corridors of Harvard University are carved in granite the words of Archibald Macleish: ‘How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms; by truth when it is attacked by lies; by democratic faith when it is attacked by authoritarian dogma. Always and in the final act, by determination and faith.’

    I promised on the grave of Ninoy “NEVER AGAIN!”

  41. “I have sat at the sumptuous tables of power, but I have not run away with the silverware.”
    Diosdado Macapagal

    We will celebrate the 97th birthday of the “Poor man from Lubao” on friday,Sept.28.

    In his honor,pls.spread this text to remind GMA of her father’s timely advice to her!

  42. 81.

    The Senate:

    I am grateful that the following were NOT elected Senators: Tito Sotto,Tessie Aquino,Chavit,Defensor,Pechay,etc.Can you imagine what they would be doing in defense of the ZTE deal.

    I am grateful that Mar Roxas is showing a lot of guts and determination(I used to worry about his being “spineless” before).

    I am grateful that Cayetano and Escudero are acting like true principled oppositionists NOW.

    I am grateful that Pimentel and Lacson have consistenly been true oppostionists.

    I am disappointed with Noynoy and Loren for not being prepared for the hearings and are interested only in primetime sounds bites and photo-ops.

    I am aghast at the behaviour of Lolos Johnny and Joker and of course Lady miriam.

    I am missing the presence Lito Lapid and Revilla.Puede naman magtanong sa Tagalog,ah!

    Leave a Reply

  44. buencamino, as i pointed out in the preceding thread, hearsay rule applies only to witness’ testimony, not a lawyer’s argument. when i argue as a lawyer, i’m doing just that, not testifying as a witness. the two roles are not compatible.

  45. yeah, mar was pretty “spiny” that last hearing. 🙂

    you know what i think about abalos’ encounter with prof. neri? he probably thought, when neri raised the second objection, “aba, looks like this guy wants more than 200M, pano naman ako?”

  46. tdc,

    you keep calling me tita emilie. emilie is another persona who used to frequent this forum; however, i suspect s/he is still lingering around, taking on his/her more popular alternick. i was only offering him/her a vessel to dump his/her crap. and that’s my nativity background.

  47. how to uproot the truth:

    “Asked if the President’s move would defuse the politically charged atmosphere, Apostol said: “All’s well that ends well.”

    He said it would “temper all sides—Malacañang, De Venecia and the Senate.” ” -inq, 23 sept

    galeng. altogether now: “let’s move on” [*music rolls*:
    “tatoe arashi ga futou tomo, tatoe oonami areru tomo, kogida sou tatakai no umi e, tobikomou tatakai no uzu e…”]

  48. I am aghast at the behaviour of Lolos Johnny

    You would not understand the issues raised by Enrile.
    It is the question of a corporation that has a very small paid up capital and is bidding in a government project that is worth billions.

    It is also a question of the absence of the name of JDV3 in the corporate paper of the corporation he claimed he’s a majority stockholder.

    Go study about corporation. This is true with that corporation of Estrada which was also thinly capitalized but was able to get the chunks of government funds.

  49. Gloria will cancel the deal and then ask that the hearings be stopped and we move on. Her Senate tutas will say that’s right no harm no foul let’s move on.
    – mb, September 21st, 2007 at 1:01 am

    yes, even if just suspended, senate hearings should stop. no harm, no foul. stop neri and abalos from testifying…

    truth or lies they are going to say…doesn’t really matter now…

    Let’s. Move. On.

    (the perfected art of preemptive strikes!)

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