The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's report on the National Broadband Network (NBN)-ZTE Corp. deal is not yet final and is still subject for amendments, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. Sunday said.

Pimentel said he would fully support Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano's plan to submit a separate minority report that will dissent from and concur with certain portions of the report.

He said the minority would move for the exclusion of businessman Jose De Venecia III and Engineer Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada from the committee report on the alleged anomalous contract.

“The report of the committee is just a draft report until it is approved by the whole Senate. So it will still be debated, amended and approved before you can say it is the final, official report,” Pimentel said.

He said that while he and other senators have signed the committee report which also recommends the filing of an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo and graft and corruption charges against First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and nine others, including former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief Benjamin Abalos, they do not agree with certain portions and will move to amend them when it is taken up during plenary session.

Aside from Pimentel, those who object to include Lozada and De Venecia from the Ombudsman's prosecution are Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano.

“It is not correct to treat them in the same category as the personalities who conspired to pursue the $329 million NBN-ZTE contract that was found to be grossly overpriced and manifestly disadvantageous to the government. In my view, they should be treated as state witnesses,” Pimentel explained.

He said the recommendation to prosecute Lozada and De Venecia, unless rectified and overturned, would have dangerous implications, discouraging future witnesses from coming forward and testifying in legislative inquiries.

“Such recommendation is patently unfair and unjustified considering that without the testimonies of Messrs. Lozada and De Venecia, the blue ribbon committee would not have unearthed the details of the telecommunications scam and the blue ribbon committee would have faced a blank wall in its inquiry,” he said.

“Moreover, the two key witnesses risked their lives and made a lot of personal sacrifices by spilling the beans on the scandal, and in the eyes of the public they deserve to be complimented rather than to be crucified,” he added.

The senators also said that they would like the report to be more specific on President Arroyo's offense in the deal to warrant the proper filing of criminal charges or impeachment complaint against her.