Apostol urges Senate to close book on NBN-ZTE probe following Supreme Court decision

MANILA, Sept. 6 (PNA) -- Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol urged the Senate today to finally close its inquiry into the National Broadband Network (NBN) controversy following the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the executive privilege invoked by former National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Director-General Romulo Neri.

In an interview this afternoon, Apostol said, “Yes, it is time for the Senate to close its investigation. They (senators) have gathered enough evidence in aid of legislation, nasabi na lahat at wala namang ebidensiya (everything has been said and there was no evidence).”

“Pero kung iba ang motibo ng iba diyan -- as in aid of the 2010 presidential elections, iyan ang problema,” Apostol said.

He added that the NBN-ZTE deal had been cancelled by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“The Supreme Court has spoken, we urge them (the senators) to draft legislation already. But if they cannot do that, they’re just wasting the people’s money,” Apostol said.

Apostol also allayed fears that the Supreme Court ruling would encourage the President to abuse the power to invoke executive privilege, saying it is enshrined in the Constitution.

“On the part of the ZTE-NBN contract, wala namang itinago si Presidente. Yung project, ‘di pa finalized.

“Pero kung finalized na, the President and the NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) will bring this to the Cabinet for the project’s implementation, at ipa-paalam sa publiko talaga ang mga detalye sa proyekto – eh, na-cancel ang proyekto so wala na,” Apostol said.

He also dismissed the claim of Jun Lozada that the public will never know the truth about the contract because of the Supreme Court’s decision.

“Ano pa ang dapat malaman ng publiko? Idinada na niya lahat-lahat sinabi na niya. ‘Di ba nag-drama-drama pa siya? Wala namang ebidensiya (What else should the public know? He has revealed everything with drama and all and yet he had no evidence to prove his claims),” Apostol said.