Between delicadeza and guilt

LAST week, “delicadeza” was a word many may have found difficult to use in a sentence along with the name of Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., as unflattering details of his alleged involvement in the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal surfaced during last week’s Senate hearing.

Today, some, albeit sarcastically, are using that word to describe Abalos after his decision to resign from the Comelec.

“I congratulate him. By resigning, he has shown that he has delicadeza, and now looks better than other politicians who are similarly situated,” says Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla, who endorsed the impeachment complaint against Abalos last Thursday.

Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico, who filed the impeachment complaint against Abalos , however says the poll body chief’s move “is an indication of guilt in the face of mounting evidence.” Suplico says Abalos and former socioeconomic and planning secretary Romulo Neri should face the Senate again and reveal everything they know about the scandal-ridden $329-million NBN project.

But Abalos’s move is far from placating many who believe more damning details have yet to be uncovered in the deal.

“It should not stop with Abalos’s resignation. Somebody who resigns should not be deemed innocent,” says Suplico.

Amsterdam Holdings Inc. (AHI) said it will continue to work until the NBN deal is rescinded. AHI, whose majority owner is Jose de Venecia III, lost to ZTE Corporation in its bid for the project.

With the impeachment process stymied by Abalos’s sudden resignation, Suplico and Padilla plan to bring their case to the office of the Ombudsman. Suplico said he is set to meet with individuals and civil society groups who plan to join him as complainant.

Padilla admits an impeachment hearing would have provided the public a chance to scrutinize details of the NBN deal and form an opinion based on the evidence that will be presented. “Ayaw niyang (Abalos) ma-torture pa siguro kaya nag-resign na (He resigned to avoid further torture),” Padilla said.

Senator Mar Roxas, meanwhile, urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to create a high-level commission that will look into the NBN project. “It is time that the administration spares no sacred cows and commits to the policy of transparency and accountability,” says Roxas.

Abalos’s announcement yesterday afternoon caught many by surprise, including his own staff at the Comelec. “I learned about it from ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel), said one Comelec insider. Lawyer Gabriel Villareal said his client made the decision last night after consultations with all members of the Abalos family. Abalos had repeatedly ruled out resignation last week.

Suplico believes Abalos may have been disheartened by indications that his allies in Malacañang have abandoned him.

“It is clear that the message was ‘drop Abalos, save the president,'” says Suplico. He says this can be gleaned from Neri’s testimony. The former NEDA chief testified that Abalos tried to bribe him to support the ZTE bid. When asked why the president approved the project despite the alleged bribe try, Neri invoked “executive privilege” to evade the question.