Inquire Online:
by Erwin Oliva
President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo had allegedly asked former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri why he did not accept the P200-million bribe offer for a favorable endorsement of the national broadband network project, the son of Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. disclosed to the Senate.
Jose De Venecia III, who testified anew on Wednesday at the resumption of the Senate investigation on the NBN project, said this was what Neri had revealed to him.
De Venecia III said that when Neri told the President about the offer of then Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos, the former Cabinet secretary quoted her as saying, “Bakit hindi mo tinanggap [Why didn’t you accept it]?”
De Venecia III said that according to Neri, the ex-Cabinet official told her: “Mam hindi po ako ganung klaseng tao [Mam, I am not that kind of person].
De Venecia III said that it was at this point that Neri told him that he was seriously thinking of resigning.
Neri, who has since been appointed chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, said that De Venecia III’s claims were “totally untrue.”
In the same hearing, De Venecia III also said that the President’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo had a $70 million share in the NBN contract that was eventually forged with China’s ZTE Corp.
De Venecia III said this was disclosed to him by Arroyo’s friend and businessman Enrique Razon Jr. after the Speaker’s son met Abalos and the First Gentleman at the Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City where he quoted Mr. Arroyo as telling him to “back off.”
De Venecia III, head of the Amsterdam Holdings Inc., which tried but failed to secure the NBN project, is considered a key witness in the ongoing Senate investigation on the alleged anomalous agreement.
The young De Venecia also told the Senate of an alleged plot by generals, led by one Jimmy Santos, to kill him by using hired guns.
The young De Venecia also revealed that his father had received a text message from Deputy Speaker Gabriel Singson about the threats.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel assured De Venecia III that any attempts to silence witnesses by the Senate could be interpreted as “obstruction of justice.” He urged the committee to summon the generals and Santos to appear before the committee to clear their names.
Neri’s side:
Venecia III: ‘Totally untrue’
by Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
A “shocked” former socioeconomic planning Secretary Romulo Neri rejected Wednesday the testimony by Jose “Joey” de Venecia III before the Senate where he linked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to a P200-million bribe offered to her former Cabinet official.
“I am shocked and appalled to learn that Joey de Venecia made the absolutely untrue statement in his Senate testimony today that in one conversation with him, I said that the President asked me why I did not accept the bribe offer from Chairman Abalos,” Neri said in a statement released by Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo in Malacañang.
Saludo said he has just spoken by phone with Neri, who is in Hong Kong.
Neri said the young De Venecia’s testimony was “totally untrue” and that he was standing by his statement that the President had told him not to accept the bribe.
“It is also untrue, as Mr. De Venecia contends that I am living under duress and unable to speak freely. I can move around freely and I can talk to anybody I want to,” he added.
In a separate text message to Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, Neri said, “Joey is imagining things or remembers things as to what he wished would have happened. I’m now in Hong Kong.”
Neri confirmed these statements by phone to INQUIRER.net. He added: “The rest are speculations or inaccuracies.”
Neri, who had also testified in one of the Senate hearings on the NBN project, said that then Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos had offered him P200 million for a favorable endorsement of the project that was supposed to connect all government agencies through a broadband network.
He also said that he had told the President about the incident to which he quoted Mrs. Arroyo as telling him not to accept the bribe.
Ellen,
Re: “The young De Venecia also revealed that his father had received a text message from Deputy Speaker Gabriel Singson about the threats.”
The father should come out of hiding and stop using his son as shield to expose the threats himself.
All on his own, the young de Venedia has not real clout to fight the likes of Mike Arroyo, Razon, and three generals.
“totally untrue” was Neri’s comment on the young de Venecia’s expose about their talks.
Neri is so coward, dinagdagan pa ng pagka-sinungaling. Never thought that Neri will become an accomplished liar, too, like his/her president Gloria!
I support this young de Venecia, I believe him 100%.
Good Morning!
Hope the house extend the protection to the young JDV before he becomes a statistic. I was watching the ANC telecast and I cant help myself but #@$%, most of the time spent refers to technicality. What a waste of time. However, it was funny when Jr. says the majic word “Put@ Ina Mo…..”, that at least made my night.
Kahit anong sabihin ng mga ungas, a crime has been committed, and those responsible definitely should be arrested and duly prosecuted. Sa Japan iyan, marami na ang nagpakamatay sa hiya!!!
Re: “…it was funny when Jr. says the majic word “Put@ Ina Mo…..”, that at least made my night.”
Ulitin mo pa ng 100 times, Junior!
Chi: I was laughing so hard and later on feared of re-creating Glorietta 2 incident. The way he said is was a classic ang lutong.
Re:Sa Japan iyan, marami na ang nagpakamatay sa hiya!!!
Sa Pinas ikaw ang papatayin sa inis.
Sa dami ng mga nagawang kabulastugan sa Pinas, dapat diyan marami ng nagpakamatay, siguro araw araw kung ang mentalidad ay pareho sa Japan.
When he first testified at the Senate, Mr. De Venecia was very indignant that my wife, the President was not involved.
Well, all boils down to a battle of credibility. Unfortunately for Panchito, Joey Boy is enjoying more credibility now despite being his father’s son.
“Bakit Hindi Mo Tinanggap”?
Maliit kasi, ma’am, kumpara sa dakwat mo!
itong Nire na ito. bakit siya umalis ng pilipinas? alam naman niya noon pa na may hearing sila ng Oct. 25. bakit hindi niya hinarap at patunayan nila? may dumalo ba sa hearing ni isa sa kanila? wala. kanya kanya silang dahilan.
To say Joey is lying is funny when it comes from the camp of a Liar, a Cheat & a Stealer.
I do not think that Joey de Venecia’s credibility is in negative territory like Gloria & Mike !
re: sa japan marami na nagpakamatay dahil sa hiya, sa pilipnas ikaw ang papatayin sa inis. i agree with you completely toti. natumbok mo ng sentrong sentro kapatid. paano kasi dito sa bayan natin sagad hanggang buto ang kakapalan ng mga govt’ officials natin
This nincompoop Neri had every opportunity to say his piece in the ZTE Senate Hearing, but due lack of b*lls, he opted for the “executive privelege” route, & then now he has some nerve to be “shocked” at Joey de Venecia’s revelations ?!? Haahhhhhaaaa !
Neri is currently hiding in Hongkong, don’t forget.
Original na walang bayag iyan!
what a spineless person this neri is. no wonder our country can’t move forward because we are being governed by thives,liars and corrupt oficials
US$70 milyong ‘patong’ diumano ng First Gentleman sa NBN deal….noong nag umpisa sila sa NBN/ZTE, walang sakit si gagong Mike. noong lumabas na ang tunay at katutuhanan sa NBN/ZTE at na kansela na, ito marami na siyang sakit. sakit sa loob niya na dapat ay pera na, naging bato pa.
Bakit nga kaya di tinanggap ni Neri? Baka natakot…
gaya sinabi ni chi kaya di tinanggap ni neri kasi konti lang iyong parte nya, eh kaso mas magulang itong si pidal at si ommissioner of election abalos
Obispo, pari at madre mag martsa? iwan ko lang, sana nga! pero sa akin parang malabo kasi ang iba diyan takot din kay Gloria Aroyy-o. ano nalang kaya kong may lumakas loob na manghiram ng mga sutana ng mga obispo, pari at mga madre at mag panggap at mag martsa.
Maganda i-toh! Nawalan na naman ng isang naniniwala na presidente nga si Gloria!
Go Joey!
***
Kung sa unang pagharap sa Senado ay tinawag pa ng batang De Venecia na “My President” si Mrs. Arroyo, sa muling pagdinig kahapon ng Blue Ribbon Committee sa broadband deal scandal ay binawi na ng anak ni Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., ang amor niya sa Pangulo.
“Mrs. Arroyo na lang…. Macapagal-Arroyo,” sagot ni Joey nang matanong kung tatawagin pa rin niyang Presidente si Mrs. Arroyo. (Abante)
Ha! Ha! Ha!
On Ricky Razon’s reaction when he heard that the reconciliatory meeting bogged-down, ang reply ni Razon, sabi ni Joey De Venecia III (with the twang):
“Pooh-tahng eenah si æb-loss, beennang-git pah k’ze cay Mike yoong 70 Million, ngeyon hinde tooloy molly-mootan ni Mike yoong 70 Million”
Putris, ang lutong ng P.I. ni jdv3.
“I’m a hero with coward’s legs.”— Nerita
Go, Joey, Go! Itayo mo ang dangal ng pamilya mo at lahi mo! At least, hindi ka katulad ng tatay mo. Pihado ko matino kasi ang nanay mo!!!
Buti hindi mo na tinawag na presidente mo si unano. Me? Nevah! Hindi ko tatawaging President Arroyo iyan dahil alam ko namang hindi totoo! Never have I referred to this criminal as president as a matter of fact. Ang dami ko ngang nakaaway tungkol diyan, pero ngayon, vibes na ako sa marami sa kanila.
Never supported EDSA 2 as a matter of fact, not that I really liked Erap but he was the duly elected president, and between the two, mas lesser evil siya. But as I have stated time and time again, time for Filipinos to have a better choice, not the choice between two evils as always when it comes to Philippine politics.
Puede ba, stop na ang pagpupugay sa mga pari at madre. I prefer them staying within the cloister of their monasteries. Mas nakakagulo lang sila kung nakikialam sila. Better still, please mag-concentrate na lang sila sa pagtuturo ng tama sa mga tao, unahin muna pala nila ang mga sarili nila.
One thing I am grateful for in fact for leaving the Catholic faith is that I can now look at these people in saintly cloaks as any other men, who are subject to temptations and sins, and being able to resist them if they know the truth and are following the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the letters. Kitang-kita ko ang mga hypocrisy as a matter of fact.
Ironically, one of my good friends in Japan is a Filipino nun, with whom I thought I could have a healthy discussion about Christ, but rather not kasi pirming defensive. Mahirap talaga ang sinasabing walang “Gift of the Holy Ghost” sa totoo lang.
Whatever, tuloy ang laban sans iyong mga false prophets and wolves in sheep’s clothing.
i dont think neri will say something against arroyo. kasi dapat nung sa senate inquiry pa lang nilaglag na nya si arroyo. he keeps saying…i forgot hehehe something like its between him and the president. why not say what the president told you if she said dont accept there’s nothing wrong with that..but is she said ” why did you not accept..kulang ba? dadagdagan ko” yan ang masama
sabi nga arroyo is still powerful and i dont think someone like neri will be brave enough to go against her
Tongue,
Ibinalita nga ni Totie ang mura ni Joey pero hindi sa twang! Hahahahahh! Katuwa sigurong pakinggan.
“Pooh-tahng eenah si æb-loss, beennang-git pah k’ze cay Mike yoong 70 Million, ngeyon hinde tooloy molly-mootan ni Mike yoong 70 Million”
Putris, ang lutong ng P.I. ni jdv3.
***
Sige Joey, murahin mo pa sila in twang. Hahahah!
Bakit hindi mo tinangggap? Kasi hindi cash.
Go Joey! show us all that anak ka ng nanay mo at apo ka ni Speaker Perez sa panindigan mo. I was just in high school when I used to see your grandfather..they lived in Sierra Madre and kapitbahay ng Lolo Juan ko (and they were friends) and I had high respects for him. I didn’t know your Mom, she was three years my junior, but I used to see her too at STCQC.. Your father has his own reasons..ang sabi nga ng former boss ko sa FGU, who was a high school classmate ng tatay mo sa La Salle..si JdV? ibang klase yon?
Rose:
Joey may be his father’s son, but he must have been brought up right by his mother! Ibang-iba sa ama, and definitely hindi kamukha kahit sa itsura!
Hopefully, may mangyari sa ginagawa niya. We should definitely support him. Problema, magaling manulot si pandak. Tignan mo nga ang ginawa kay Erap. Nasulutan ang mga mahirap!