By ELLEN TORDESILLAS
FOR Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, star witness in NBN/ZTE deal, one of the biggest scandals in the Arroyo administration, it’s like he and his family are back to where they were exactly five years ago when he was abducted by police officers and he had to seek refuge with the nuns.
They were informed by members of the Pasig City Police that the Sandigan Bayan has issued an arrest warrant for Lozada in connection with a graft case filed by Erwin Santos, the current president of Philippines Forest Corporation , and Arroyo’s hatchet man when the former was a resource person in the Senate investigation on the anomalous $320 million telecommunications.
It’s disturbing. So alarming that today, members of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines are meeting with some members of the Aquino cabinet at the Department of Justice at 9 a.m. on Lozada’s situation. Would Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda be there? Lacierda was the lawyer of Lozada when they were still working to bring down Gloria Arroyo.
Last Saturday, Lozada wrote close friends and supporters after getting a frantic call from his wife, Violet. Excerpts from that letter:
“Early this morning of Feb. 2, 2013 around a little past 7AM, elements of the Pasig City Police came to my house looking for me. Violet, who was home at the time, spoke with them. They told her of the arrest warrant that had been issued against me by the Sandigan Bayan based upon the charges brought to me by the Ombudsman, (approved by Conchita Carpio Morales.)
“They also told her that by this time they are certain that my arrest warrant has been received by the other law enforcement units… CIDG, NBI, etc. They told her that it would be wise for me to post bail because I can be arrested anytime, anywhere. After which they left our home. (I somehow have this funny feeling why they will go to such length. For I see no plausible reason why they would be so charitable to us to deserve their advice.)
“Violet is so freaked out after the police left when she called me. I’m assuming due to the recent incident in Batangas where the police served an arrest warrant to a man suspected of some involvement with jueteng. The man peacefully went with the police dressed only in his briefs, because he was not even allowed to wear his pants. About 50 meters away from the house where the man was taken, he was shot dead with the explanation that he attempted to shot one the arresting policemen. “
Lozada was referring to Fernando Morales, allegedly a member of the jueteng network of Vic Siman who was among those killed in an ambush in Atimonan, Quezon last month.
The police visit also reminds the Lozadas of the traumatic experience upon his arrival from Hongkong afternoon of on Feb. 5, 2008. He was personally met at the airport by airport and police officers including NAIA Assistant General Manager Angel Atutubo, then Chief Superintendent Romeo Hilomen of the Police Security and Protection Office, Senior Superintendent Paul Mascariñas, and retired master Sergeant Rodolfo Valeroso working with the Aviation Security Group.
He was brought to Laguna and Libis, during which time he met with former presidential chief of staff Mike Defensor who gave him P50,000 and told him to call a press conference and deny that he was kidnapped.
It was during that circuitous journey home that Lozada had his sort of epiphany. If before that he was unsure of whether take the “safer” option chosen by his good friend Romy Neri, who kept quiet, he decided to do his share for the Filipino people and tell all what he knows of the project that would have defrauded the Filipino people of P14.8 billion.
Lozada surfaced on Feb. 7, 2008 in a 2 a.m. conference at La Salle Greenhills and confirmed that persons close to Malacañang had a hand in his kidnapping, which is related to the ZTE deal.
The decision to take on Arroyo and her “greedy group”, in the words of another NBE/ZTE witness, Dante Madriaga, drastically changed Lozada’s life. He and his family lived under the sanctuary of the De La Salle brothers for two- and-a- half years that Arroyo was in power.
In his email, Lozada said “I feel so bad to let her (Violet) go through these tribulations all over again, especially that she is alone at home. It was different when we were at the sanctuary, somehow it has a built -in support mechanism which she can lean on during times like these.”
With Arroyo out of power, Lozada does not feel the supposed change under the Aquino administration. He is continuously being prosecuted while many of those who were allies of Arroyo are very much part of the Aquino administration.
A prosecutor involved in the plunder case against Arroyo et al on the NBN/ZTE deal, asked Lozada awkwardly if he would still be a government witness even if the government is also trying to jail him on the PFC case.
Lozada told him his being a witness in the NBN/ZTE case is “duty to the Filipino people.”
In his email, Lozada said, “Personally, I am angry and hurt at the same time that this is happening under this administration…The pain is always deeper when my family is the one getting hurt. “
He added:“Hindi ako sumisingil ng utang na loob sa mga nakapuwesto ngayon, lalo na sa mga Aquino at mga kabinete niya. Pero itong patuloy niyang pagkukupkop sa kaisa-isang testigo ni Gloria Arroyo sa akin bilang presidente ng Phil. Forest Corp sa loob ng halos 3 taong niyang pagiging pangulo. Ito ay isang hindi tahasang paraan upang hayaan ni PNoy na ipagpatuloy ang mag harassment cases sa akin ni GMA.. na ngayon nga ay humantong na dito sa masakit na kalagayang ito.”
Lozada related that a common friend with President Aquino said to him: “I am sure that PNoy will never take the side of an Arroyo crony”.
Lozada replied: “I am sure that PNoy will not take the side of an Arroyo crony. What I am afraid of is that PNoy finds a common cause of their disdain for me or what I stood for”.