Philippines gov’t won’t back down on ZTE deal, as senator claims $200m was earmarked for bribes

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told reporters, “Definitely, there is no order to discontinue because of the uproar.” “We don’t want to talk about too much detail because it is already at the Ombudsman and the Supreme Court. If our critics believe that they have a case to probe, they should come up with evidence and go to the court to resolve it with finality.”
 
Claims about the contract have intensified in recent days with Opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson claiming that nearly $200 million of the contract was intended for bribes to three people – an unnamed election official and two other government figures – and as funds for the administration's campaign budget for recent elections.