LOZADA IS AFRAID OF THE SENATE

MANILA, FEBRUARY 13, 2008 (STAR) COMMONSENSE By Marichu A. Villanueva - The Senate’s inquiry into the alleged multi-million dollar kickbacks in the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) that went into the contract with the ZTE Corp. of China took up at length last Monday the purported “kidnapping” of their latest witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. This peripheral issue in the NBN-ZTE scandal has provided the latest drama into this whole mess, complete with tears and fears displayed in public by Lozada during that Senate hearing.
The cast of characters in this Senate hearing were personalities in and out of the government whose names were among those mentioned by Lozada on his allegedly being “kidnapped” last week upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). They were: Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza; deputy executive secretary Manny Gaite; Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Alfonso Cusi; Philippine National Police (PNP) director-general Avelino “Sonny” Razon; NAIA assistant general manager for security Gen. Angel Atutubo; private counsel Atty. Antonio Bautista, Senior Superintendent Pol Mascariñas; and former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor.
Despite breaking down in tears at one point of the Senate hearing, Lozada gallantly faced the eight resource persons from the government side who each refuted and clarified their supposed roles in his being “kidnapped”. In many instances, the televised Senate hearing caught Lozada’s facial reactions that indicated his disagreement to the testimonies of these people while they each passionately controverted his claims of his being “kidnapped” or held against his will.
Gen. Razon who is known for his even temper, at one point, had to raise his voice a few decibels higher as he tried to disprove allegations against him and his men who provided the security for Lozada but who were now accused as “kidnappers”. The PNP chief, seated beside the latest witness on the NBN-ZTE scandal during the Senate hearing, even gestured to Lozada’s being present there unharmed before the Senators as best evidence that the PNP succeeded in its assigned mission to protect him.
While Lozada was “vague” about what he was afraid of, Gen. Razon noted during the entire testimony at the Senate hearing that the witness was consistent, though, on three counts. One, Lozada “feared” for his life. Second, he was “afraid of being arrested by the Senate.” And third, he does not want to appear at the Senate because he is afraid to testify on what he knows about the alleged “overpricing” and kickbacks that went into the government-approved NBN-ZTE deal.
I asked yesterday the PNP chief what Lozada was telling him in whisper when the two of them were photographed at the Senate hearing. “Hirap na hirap na raw siya. Ayaw n’ya talagang humarap sa Senate investigation,” Razon quoted Lozada telling him even in whispers. It was very clear what Lozada was afraid of.
Raising a similar “snatching” incident of a Senate witness, Udong Mahusay was dug up during the hearing against Defensor. However, it backfired because it gave the opportunity to the former Arroyo Cabinet official to finally put on Senate record in proper perspective what really happened in that particular case. This was in reference to Defensor’s previous involvement in “snatching” a Senate witness, Mahusay, raised by Opposition Senator Chiz Escudero. Mahusay was the witness of Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson when the Opposition leader exposed the alleged “Jose Pidal” bank account of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.
As in the case of Lozada, Defensor testified that Mahusay feared for his life when he called him up and sought out his assistance because he used to work for him and his family. Defensor recalled how he went all the way to Tagaytay to fetch Mahusay and took him to the PNP camp in Silang, Cavite. Defensor recalled how fearful he was that they might be followed by the armed men who took him to the safehouse provided by Lacson.
Like Udong Mahusay, Lacson told his Senate colleagues Lozada was also his witness in the ZTE scandal whom he first met on Dec. 3. In his own testimony of his alleged “kidnapping”, Lozada struck a sour note for Lacson when he mentioned his fears that he might end up being killed or salvaged by unidentified police security escorts when they reached Dasmariñas, Cavite. “Baka, ma-Dacer ako!” Lozada told the Senators. Of course, Lozada referred to the late public relations man, Salvador “Bubby” Dacer who, along with his driver, were kidnapped and killed in that place. The principal suspects in this twin murder case were officers of Lacson when he was the PNP chief during the term of former President Joseph Estrada. The case remains among the unsolved crimes in our country. The mastermind and perpetrators of the Dacer-Corbito twin murder case remain free.
But like trick of the hat, Lozada’s testimony at the Senate on his alleged “kidnapping” and implicating the First Gentleman into the NBN-ZTE scandal became the Opposition’s fodder to renew their call for the resignation of President Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro. No wonder, the planned Opposition-led protest rallies starting this Friday in Makati City are being primed in time when our country marks the anniversary of the February 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
It is very clear that people from both the administration and Opposition were desperate to get Lozada. Thus, the ZTE witness did not know where, or who, to turn to. He ended up, though, in the protective care of the De La Salle brothers and nuns whose previous resignation calls against the President were public knowledge. Although he kept saying he does not want to identify himself with any political persuasion on his crusade to help put an end to corruption in government, the poor guy lost on his way to redeem what was left in his soul. And that’s because some people in Church have dipped their fingers again into politics.