Mendoza dodges solons’ questions on broadband deal

By Maila Ager - INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza has invoked the sub judice rule to evade questions on the $329 million national broadband network (NBN) deal between the government and China’s ZTE Corp.

“I’m sorry your honor, but my legal counsel has advised me from answering questions on the matter,” Mendoza told members of the House appropriations committee during a hearing Thursday night.

Mendoza said officials of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) could not speak about the contract, citing pending petitions filed against them before the Supreme Court and the Office of the Ombudsman.

He said they were “bound by the sub judice rule for pending cases and in this way, might not discuss any matter related to the merits of the case lest be declared by the SC in contempt of court.”

Jose “Joey” de Venecia III has asked the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the controversial project while Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico has filed a petition before the Ombudsman.

Acting on De Venecia’s plea, the high tribunal on Tuesday ordered a temporary halt to the broadband project, envisioned to establish a seamless connectivity of landline, cellular and Internet services among all government offices nationwide.

But opposition Congressman Rufus Rodriguez, who raised the NBN issue during the hearing, said Mendoza simply needed to answer questions whether a contract was actually signed between the ZTE Corp. and the government.

“This is not any investigation,” he said, adding that it was not the merit of the case being questioned.

But Mendoza maintained his stated position prompting Rodriguez to suggest he might be constrained to request for the resetting of the DOTC’s budget hearing.

Committee chairman Edcel Lagman reminded Rodriguez , however, that the NBN project has no budgetary implications because it has no appropriation yet as earlier stated by Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya.

Committee vice chair Junie Cua agreed with Lagman.

The NBN contract was reportedly signed by Mendoza and Yu Yong, ZTE vice president, on April 21 in ceremonies witnessed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in China.