Neri Pleads Not Guilty In ZTE Bribery Case

MANILA, Philippines - Social Security System president Romulo Neri pleaded “not guilty” to charges of graft before the Sandiganbayan yesterday morning.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Neri came early for the arraignment.

He is accused of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when he approved the $329-million national broadband network deal between the government and Chinese firm ZTE Corp. when he was director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority under the Arroyo administration.

The charges were read to Neri in open court.

Associate Justice Roland Jurado, Sandiganbayan fifth division chairman, asked him how he would plead.”

The anti-graft court set the preliminary hearing of Neri’s graft case on Aug. 2 and the pre-trial conference
on Aug. 20.

Neri’s lawyer Paul Lentejas said his client is ready to face the charges against him to prove his innocence.

“Who knows, after all the witnesses of the prosecution have testified, we will file a demurer to evidence,” he said.

“It is very hard to discuss the merits now, let us see what the evidence of the prosecution will be.”

In a demurer to evidence, the accused asks the court to decide the case based on the evidence submitted by the prosecution.

Lentejas said Neri is not going to turn state witness against his co-accused, former elections chairman Benjamin Abalos.

“We don’t consider that and we will never consider that,” he said.

“Like I said, we will fight our cases.”

It is up to the prosecution to prove its case, he added.

Lentejas said Neri will not cooperate with the Truth Commission headed by former ambassador to the United Nations Hilario Davide Jr.

“It’s irrelevant to us now,” he said.

“After my client has been arraigned this morning, the Truth Commission is irrelevant to us now. Of course we will not (cooperate) because he’s already been arraigned.

“Any testimony he will give to the Truth Commission will just be self-incriminating.”

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has formed a four-man panel headed by Deputy Special Prosecutor John Turalba with Assistant Special Prosecution Officer III Jofferson Toribio, acting Prosecution Bureau V Director Victor Pascual, and Assistant Special Prosecutor II Kristine Carreon to handle Neri’s case.

Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan fourth division granted yesterday the prosecution’s motion to move Abalos’ arraignment from July 20 to Aug. 10 to give prosecutors time to amend the complaint filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Aquino unperturbed by Neri’s non-cooperation

President Aquino will leave it to the Truth Commission to work out procedures to ferret out the truth on questionable deals of the Arroyo administration.

“As an American saying goes, there are many ways to skin a cat, and Justice Davide, with his vast experience, will be able to come up with the systems and procedures that will get us to the truth,” he said.

Mr. Aquino was unperturbed with Neri’s refusal to cooperate with the Truth Commission.

Michael Punongbayan, Philippine Star