[1] On August 29, Nueva Vizcaya Congressman Carlos Padilla hinted in a privilege speech that Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Benjamin Abalos went to China to broker a deal for the NBN project.
Suplico, a former opposition congressman, alleged that the agreement was sealed without public bidding and violated the Telecoms Policy Act, which required privatization of all telecommunications facilities.
On September 22, 2007, president Arroyo suspended the broadband contract with ZTE after the bribery scandal sparked major problems in her government.
[1] He later shunned succeeding Senate hearings still citing executive privilege On September 27, 2007, ZTE petitioned the Supreme Court to lift the TRO alleging, in its urgent omnibus motion, inter alia, that the injunction cost the company millions.
[5][6] On January 30, 2008, the Senate produced warrants of arrest to Neri and Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada, Jr., former chief executive officer of the government-run Philippine Forest Corporation and a consultant of the NEDA.
Lozada claimed he was driven around Metro Manila and even reached Los Baños, Laguna, before he was transported to the La Salle Green Hills seminary.
[15] The Philippine Court of Appeals dismissed Jun Lozada's writ of amparo petition for lack of evidence on his claim that there were threats to his life and security.
[16] On September 23, 2008, Lozada asked the Supreme Court of the Philippines to re-open and reconsider his case, thereby arguing for the protection of his siblings, Violeta and Arturo.
[17] On August 23, 2016, the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court found Lozada and his brother guilty of graft in connection to the Philippine Forest Corp, and were sentenced to six to 10 years of imprisonment.
[18][19][20] Mike Defensor, on July 4, 2008, filed a 6-page perjury lawsuit Friday versus Rodolfo Noel Lozada for "testifying under oath that he had paid Lozada P 50,000 to change his statement that he was not kidnapped at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) when he arrived from Hong Kong at the height of the Philippine National Broadband Network controversy (ZTE Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Company Limited scandal).
[24] Party-list representatives Neri Colmenares and Walden Bello called for a banning of ZTE operations in the country until its record in the scandal had been clarified.
[26] President Arroyo decided to cancel the National Broadband Network project on October 2, 2007, in a meeting with Chinese leader Hu Jintao.
[31] On February 29, 2008, a rally was held in the Makati Central Business District to protest corruption and call for the resignation of President Arroyo.