Admin solons, sans JDV, meet with Arroyo in Malacañang

Administration congressmen met with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Malacañang on Wednesday evening to “show of support" for the President in the national broadband network (NBN) deal controversy. The meeting took place amid the perceived rift between President Arroyo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr, whose son implicated First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo in the much-criticized $329.48-million NBN contract awarded to China’s ZTE Corp. In its report, GMA News said Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia confirmed the congressmen’s meeting with President Arroyo. Garcia said that he did not see De Venecia in the meeting. Garcia – who was De Venecia’s main rival for the House Speakership post during the opening of the 14th Congress – described the meeting as a gathering of friends and supporters of the President. The meeting was attended by members of the ruling party Lakas-Christian-Muslim democrats (Lakas) party and President Arroyo’s political party Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), Garcia said. De Venecia is the president of Lakas. For his part, House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, who failed to attend the meeting, said around 100 congressmen attended Wednesday evening’s meeting in Malacañang. Mrs Arroyo received much flak from critics as a result of Jose "Joey" de Venecia III's Senate testimony implicating the First Gentleman in the government’s controversial national broadband network contract with ZTE Corp. During the Senate inquiry into the ZTE deal, De Venecia III said the First Gentleman told him to “back off" from the project, in support for Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos whom he alleged was pushing for an overpriced bid for the project. De Venecia III is co-owner of losing project proponent Amsterdam Holdings Inc. The First Gentleman left the country on Monday, on the eve of De Venecia III’s appearance before the Senate inquiry. - GMANews.TV