FORMER elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. was a no-show on Wednesday’s continuation of the hearing on the controversial $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Co. at the Office of the Ombudsman, creating tension among lawyers of the contending parties.

But before more tension developed, the Ombudsman intervened and instructed Abalos’s lawyer to tell his client that he has five days to explain why he did not attend the hearing or be cited in contempt.

The next hearing is scheduled on June 18.

Upon learning that Abalos was not present, lawyer Ernesto Francisco immediately asked the Ombudsman to cite the former elections chairman in contempt.

Francisco is the counsel of Senate witness Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada Jr.

But the motion was immediately opposed by Abalos’s lawyer, Gabriel Villareal, saying the subpoena was served while his client was on vacation abroad.

Those who also attended the hearing were columnist Jarius Bondoc, Lozada, businessman Jose de Venecia III and Dante Madriaga, also a witness in the Senate investigation.

They said nothing has changed in their commitment to reaffirming their testimonies in the Senate regarding the controversy.

Their lawyers also requested to the Ombudsman to grant them immunity as witnesses in the ZTE mess.

But this was protested by lawyers of the camp of the President’s husband, Mike Arroyo.

The Ombudsman gave the four witnesses seven days to submit their affidavits on what part of the 5,000-page documents from the Senate hearing they want to reaffirm.

Lozada, for his part, urged other potential witnesses to come out in the open and speak what they know about the scandal.

“My call is not just for former Speaker [Jose] de Venecia but for anyone who knows the truth. Please have fear of God. This is what Filipinos need, fear of God,” he said.

In the series of his testimonies in the Senate, Lozada told the hearing about the alleged $130-million kickback asked by the camp of Abalos from ZTE.

Recently, the camp of de Venecia hinted he would testify in connection with the ZTE mess.

Meanwhile, Deputy Special Prosecutor Robert Kallos warned the witnesses to be careful against self-incriminating testimonies that they will submit before the investigating body.

“It’s better if [witnesses] will have to go over the transcriptions, each and every page, so that you can choose in the transcripts [which statements to affirm]. If you affirm each and every page, there is a danger that some incriminatory answers to incriminating questions might be reaffirmed. We are cautioning the witnesses— Senate’s is a different investigation,” he said.

Francisco invoked Rule 5 of the Administrative Order 7, or the Ombudsman’s rules of procedure, and Presidential Decree 749 to grant Lozada immunity from prosecution. But the Ombudsman panel clarified that it is the agency—not the panel—that grants it.

AI notes dramatic decrease in human-rights violations

AMNESTY International (AI) on Wednesday noted the “dramatic decrease in the number of victims of extrajudicial killings in 2007 compared with the previous records in 2005 and 2006.”

FORMER elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. was a no-show on Wednesday’s continuation of the hearing on the controversial $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Co. at the Office of the Ombudsman, creating tension among lawyers of the contending parties.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s Law Enforcement Department (SBMA-LED) and Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group-Task Force Subic (PASG-TFS) agents confiscated some P4.62 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu after a foiled attempt to smuggle the illegal drugs into Subic.

A PALL of gloom descended over the House of Representatives on Wednesday as the body of labor leader and party-list Rep. Crispin Beltran, more popularly known as Ka Bel, of Anakpawis lay at the plenary hall where a Mass and necrological service were held before the militant legislator was laid to rest in Bulacan.

TO mitigate the effects of the skyrocketing price of petroleum products on the country’s economy, legislators have proposed the implementation of energy-conservation measures such as carpooling and reducing government working days to four.

THE environment group Greenpeace, together with several legislators, on Wednesday urged the government to adopt a national energy program that would harness the massive renewable- energy potentials of the country while reducing its dependence on dirty energy resources, particularly coal.

THE Swedish minister for migration and asylum, Tobias Billstrom, said his government is working with other Schengen member-countries of the European Union in their embassies in Manila to accept and process short-stay visas to Sweden, amid possible constraints on the visa application of Filipinos traveling that country owing to the closure of its embassy here starting next month.

THE appointment of former Armed Forces chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon as head of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process may adversely affect the ongoing peace process, citing the military official’s bad human-rights record.