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Benjamin
Abalos, up until recently chairman of the Commission on
Elections (Comelec), did the right thing in quitting his
post while under Senate investigation for his alleged
involvement in the controversial national broadband
network project.
This is
regardless of the fact that he was about to end his term
as Comelec chief. Resignation was inevitable for Abalos,
considering the bribery allegations against him, and to
his credit he did the manly thing of calling it quits at
the right time.
That
Abalos allegedly attempted to bribe businessman Jose de
Venecia III and former socioeconomic planning secretary
Romulo Neri with over P700 million, to ensure that the
broadband project went to his friends at Chinese firm
ZTE, still has to be proved. Even the Senate’s
investigation into the matter doesn’t seem to be going
anywhere. And while President Arroyo already canceled
the deal, seemingly with the Chinese government’s
blessing, it remains unclear to date whether anybody
actually did anything wrong.
By
resigning, Abalos avoided impeachment, and thus
prevented his nemesis’s father, House Speaker Jose de
Venecia Jr., from rallying his allies at the House
against the embattled former Comelec chairman.
But by
leaving his government post, Abalos also exposed himself
to possible criminal charges, particularly for allegedly
attempting to bribe government officials. One cannot
help but wonder how Abalos can remain so confident.
However, to date, nothing seems to stick anyway. Nothing
has been proved, and perhaps nothing will.
At his
age, at 71, Abalos should now consider himself out of
public office, and public service, for good. The ghost
of the ZTE controversy will continue to haunt him, even
if he is never criminally charged. And with his
political career seemingly at an end, perhaps he saw it
fit to finish the game on a positive note—through
resignation, not impeachment. At the very least, this
decision helps protect his honor, his name and his
legacy. More so, if in the end the charges against him
are proved to be false.
As for
my former professor at the Asian Institute of
Management, Romulo Neri, perhaps he should also consider
quitting public service altogether. The controversy over
the ZTE deal and his part in approving the deal’s
financials and economics should be enough to dissuade
him from staying in the government.
He has
done his part anyway, initially as head of the House’s
think tank under Speaker de Venecia, and then later with
the Arroyo Cabinet as National Economic and Development
Authority chief, and now as chairman of the Commission
on Higher Education. A much-deserved rest seems to be in
order, at least until the next administration.
And with
graft charges now filed against Speaker de Venecia and
his son and namesake, perhaps Manong Joe and his Joey
should also consider lying low in the meantime.
For
Joey, he reportedly made the decision already to keep
out of Philippine business for good. One can only hope
he sticks to this. For as long as his father is in
politics, all his business dealings will be questioned
and scrutinized, especially after the ZTE controversy.
And given the hole that he has dug for himself, it is
unlikely that he can continue doing business locally in
peace—perhaps until the next administration.
For
Speaker de Venecia, going on leave appears to be an
option. Although I doubt if Manong Joe will ever take
time off from congressional work. As long as he remains
the elected representative of his legislative district
in Pangasinan, he will remain in office. But whether he
stays on as Speaker depends on how quickly he can
outflank his enemies at the House. Manong Joe is a
political survivor; nobody has ever been Speaker five
times.
As for
others involved in the controversial ZTE deal,
particularly officials at the Department of
Transportation and Communications (DOTC), perhaps they
should quit as well. While they have not been implicated
in the alleged bribery attempt, the very fact that the
President already canceled the ZTE project is their
rebuke.
Imagine
putting the President, and the country, in such an
embarrassing situation, not only locally but also
abroad.
If these
DOTC officials won’t resign, perhaps the President
should consider relieving them. While not criminally
liable, these officials were the ones who recommended
for Palace approval a controversial project that they
themselves could not convincingly defend at the Senate,
much more at Plaza Miranda.
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