Noli on ZTE: No one is above the law, not even Mrs Arroyo

Vice President Manuel "Noli" de Castro Jr on Wednesday said government officials, including President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, should be charged if they would be found directly involved in the alleged anomalies in the National Broadband Network (NBN) project. "Nobody is above the law. Lahat ng sangkot from top to bottom dapat makasuhan (Nobody is above the law. Everybody from top to bottom found directly involved in the anomaly should be charged)," De Castro said when asked by GMA News if he would agree to filing charges against public officials, including Mrs Arroyo, who could be implicated in the NBN mess. De Castro also favors the continuation of the inquiry into the Philippine government's aborted $329.48-million NBN project with China's Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp, saying there were still many questions left unanswered in the NBN-ZTE deal. De Castro Jr also praised Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr for his courage to testify before the Senate, and disclose what he personally knew about the deal. Lozada testified that Benjamin Abalos Sr, former chairman of the Commission on Elections, asked for a $130-million "commission" from the NBN-ZTE deal. He also claimed that Abalos called up the President's husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, to complain about the refusal of the National Economic Development Authority to bankroll the NBN project through a loan. Lozada also said that on February 5, he was snatched at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City minutes after his arrival from Hong Kong, in an apparent bid to prevent him from testifying before the Senate. Open to talks Also, the vice president said he was open to having talks with the civil society and business leaders for the sake of the country. "Basta dapat para sa mabuti ang usapan at hindi para sa interes lang ng ilan. Hindi ako sasama sa kanila kung masama ang balak nila (I will talk to them if they would assure me that it would be for the good of all, and not only for the interest of a few. I won't join them in their talks if they are planning something bad)," he said. GMA News said the vice president already knew about the pronouncement of the Makati Business Club that it would accept De Castro as president, if Mrs Arroyo steps down. "Nagpapasalamat ako. 'Yon naman talaga nakalagay sa Constitution, kung hindi puwede ang Pangulo, VP ang papalit (I'm thankful to them. That is actually what the Constitution mandates, if the President is no longer able to lead, she or he would be replaced by the vice president" he said. But De Castro was quick to add that he wanted his term and that of Mrs Arroyo completed until 2010. De Castro declined to discuss about his political plans in 2010. But on Wednesday, he announced before public school teachers and officials that he would campaign for clean and honest elections in 2010. No vacancy In a separate interview with reporters on Wednesday, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Malacañang respected De Castro's statement, which was based on what was stated in the Constitution. He, however, stressed that there was no vacancy for De Castro to become the president. “The question is meron bang vacancy? There is no such thing sa ngayon, under the present condition. It do not exist," he said. Ermita added that De Castro’s support for Lozada did not necessarily mean that the vioce president believed that there were indeed irregularities on the NBN project, and that President Arroyo had a hand on it. "He is supportive in the sense na dapat lumabas ang katotohanan (that the truth has to come out). But we say in the search for truth let us not be misled by some predisposed bias on the issue. - GMANews.TV