The new witness to the controversial ZTE- National Broadband Network (NBN) deal said he is "in grave danger," Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico said Sunday.
Suplico said the witness, codenamed "Alex", told him that "suspicious-looking men" have been seen around their neighborhood asking about his identity.
"Alex" provided Suplico photos showing President Gloria Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo with officials of ZTE Corporation in a golf game in Shenzen, China back in November 2006 when the ZTE-NBN deal was being hatched. ZTE Corporation became the choice supplier for the broadband project, which was discontinued as the senate deliberated in 2007 on the alleged irregularities.
"I have advised Alex to be very careful," Suplico said. "Threatening witnesses has now become a modus operandi of this government everytime they are confronted with the truth."
The Senate investigation on the bungled NBN project is set to reopen soon, but the new witness may not attend for fear of his life.
Suplico said he will not force "Alex" to attend. He said that he will not divulge "Alex's" identity to the senators.
"I have talked to the senators. Most of them are lawyers. They do understand anything that happens between a lawayer and his client is privileged communication," Suplico said.
ZTE officials in photo
Meanwhile, Suplico released a photograph of two officials of ZTE who were allegedly with the First Couple and Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia II at the Shenzhen Golf Club last November 2006
Suplico said the photo also came from Alex. The photo is Alex's proof that the alleged ZTE officials were present in the golf game.
"At the moment I do not have their (ZTE officials) identities. However, I am certain that these are the faces of ZTE officers," Suplico said.
However, Malacañang stood its ground and said the President did not attend any secret meeting and did not participate in any illegal transaction, as the photos released by Alex suggested.
The Palace said that the President's critics should not be "malicious" in interpreting the said photographs.
"The president never engages in secret and illegal meetings or transactions. We hope that the pictures of the president with other people will not be given any malicious interpretations by people known to be staunch critics of this government," Deputy Spokesperson Anthony Golez said in a message to ABS-CBN News, apparently referring to Suplico who belongs to the opposition.
Not scaring off
Malacañang also denied having a hand in the alleged "scaring off" of the new witness.
"It is never the mandate of this government to scare anybody as claimed by a known critic of the Palace. Just like what everybody else is saying, if they want to seek for the truth, then seek through our judicial system. If not, then real motivations are clearly shown, rumor mongering," Golez added.
"Alex" surfaced last Tuesday with the revealing photographs.
No discussion on NBN at the ZTE lunch
Golez said the President's group left the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong on November 2, 2006 at exactly 8:30 a.m. for the trip to Shenzhen.
He said the visit was kept secret since there were no welcome banners at the boundaries of the two cities, which is the usual practice for state visits.
He admitted, however, that the President's group was given a grand tour inside the ZTE Corp. office before they were invited for a private luncheon meeting.
On Wednesday, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita confirmed that the First Couple’s “social lunch” with ZTE officials but denied that they discussed the scrapped deal.
Ermita said the November 2, 2006 meeting was part of her official schedule.
Senate to reopen investigations
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, head of the Blue Ribbon Committee, one of the three Senate committees investigating the ZTE-NBN scandal, said on Wednesday that he would reopen the Senate investigation on the broadband deal even as he urged President Arroyo to respond to Alex's allegations.
Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Thursday called on the new witness in the Senate investigation on a botched telecommunications scandal to submit a sworn affidavit before appearing in the coming hearings in order to ensure he would stick to his testimony.
Cayetano confirmed that the new witness was not keen on submitting an affidavit ahead of his projected testimony due to safety and security concerns.
Escudero then suggested that to allay “Alex’s” concerns, the affidavit will only be provided only to the three chairmen of the joint committees hearing the case. These committees are the Blue Ribbon, Trade and Commerce, and the National Defense and Security. Escudero said the affidavit would be kept confidential until the day of the testimony. With reports from Ina Reformina and Lynda Jumilla, ABS-CBN News