Those who have not heard of ZTE Scandal must be living under a rock. Yet another episode to this national saga has hit the country as the Executive Order 464 was revoked by President Arroyo after her meeting with religious leaders of the country. Executive Order 464 pertains to the barring of executive department officials from testifying in legislative inquiries. The president said that officials involved in the scandal may no longer use the EO 464 as an excuse not to attend Senate hearings or answer questions from the committee. The EO 464 has been the constant reason used by former Director General of NEDA, Romulo Neri, not to attend the Senate hearings, resulting to a warrant of arrest for his ‘no show’ acts. Now that the EO 464 has been scrapped, Neri is now obliged to attend hearings as witness to the ZTE Scandal.

However, the president still holds a Constitutional right called the Executive privilege. This privilege gives the president the right to withhold from Congress, the courts and the public any information regarded as vital to the national interest. The material could include conversations and correspondence between the President and her officials on military, diplomatic and other national security issues. This is a constitutional law, therefore cannot be revoked in any way.

Now that the EO 464 is out of the way, truth may be coming out soon. Or will it?

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