YOUNG DE VENECIA TO TESTIFY

            PDP Laban secretary-general Joey de Venecia III disclosed that since his filing of the graft cases against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former first gentleman Mike Arroyo, he has been receiving death threats.

            The young de Venecia lauded his father, former speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. for his testimony in the graft cases filed against former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos relative to the $329 million national broadband network (NBN) deal with ZTE Corp. of China.

            “In addition to all his services to the nation, I am taking my hat off to my father for his bravery and courage in standing up for the truth. This is an important step in our efforts to make accountable those who abused power,” de Venecia III said.

            Former speaker de Venecia, Jr. will be appearing as a prosecution witness against Abalos and then, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, along with her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo. Younger de Venecia confirmed that the trio dined and played golf with officials of ZTE Corp. in Shenzhen, China in November of 2006 and later, they discussed about the NBN-ZTE project.

            If we will remember right, younger de Venecia was the one who exposed the NBN-ZTE scandal in the Senate which result was the ousting of then Cong. Jose de Venecia, Jr. as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

            “As I have done in the past, I am willing to testify against the perpetrators of this robbery against the Filipino people. When I exposed the ZTE scandal, I had to take security measures at my own expense because of threats to my life. If the intention of the death threats is to deter me from testifying, then they are mistaken. I have sacrificed before,I am willing to do that again, “said young de Venecia. # ANT