STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT ORDER RE: NERI ARREST

"We will wait for the Supreme Court's official order that allowed Secretary Romulo Neri his freedom for the meantime. As co-chairman of the joint committee hearing the NBN investigation, I will discuss with my fellow senators on our next step.

"It will be recalled that I, along with Senator Noynoy Aquino, filed with the Supreme Court a separate case to clarify the bounds of executive privilege, which Neri has been hiding under. It is my hope that the tribunal settles this issue at the soonest possible time, so that we can proceed in our investigation.

"However the Supreme Court decides in the end, we still hope for Neri's voluntary cooperation, for the sake of transparency."