The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will soon resume hearings on the controversial National Broadband Network contract with Chinese firm ZTE, after a new witness has come forward to shed light on President Arroyo’s role in the scandal.

The witness told ABS-CBN that he fears for his life; former Rep. and now Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico has provided him security.

This development was perhaps what whistleblower Jun Lozada was hinting when we sat down with him last week at La Salle Greenhills. He hinted no immediate end to the NBN-ZTE issue.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo has been successful to pretend having no role in yet another issue: the scandalously high power rates that beset our people. I wish the mass movements and the political opposition would redraw the prevailing anti-Meralco discourse dominated by the President’s allies into something that correctly makes skyrocketing power costs an anti-administration issue.  Arroyo’s EPIRA and her VAT on power and fuel should take centerstage soon.

The power issue should not be allowed to be turned into something like Arroyo’s salbabida.