Update: Ateneo Political Science students support Lozada; ask Arroyo to resign Malacañang in damage control mode: Mike Defensor admits giving Lozada P50,000. Ermita admits asking…
Making life worth living.
Month: February 2008
From ABS-CBN:
The Filipino Chinese community slammed the remarks made by a top Palace official Friday on Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. after the resource person testified in the Senate hearing on the investigation of the controversial national broadband deal between the government and China’s ZTE Corp.
“He is a crying witness like a crying lady. Di ba sabi niya ‘probinsyanong Iintsik?’ Intsik pala siya eh. Kung ako ipapa-deport ko na ‘yan. Magulo ka dito,” said chief presidential legal adviser Sergio Apostol.
From ABS-CBN:
The national police chief on Saturday admitted that Senior Police Officer 4 Roger Valeroso, who was initially identified as one of Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada’s escorts at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport upon his arrival, is a former member of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ABS-CBN News learned.
PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. explained that on Wednesday morning, when reports of Lozada’s alleged abduction surfaced, they checked on their list of active personnel but did not find Valeroso in their roster.
A further search, however, revealed that Valeroso is a retired policeman and is working at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
I was touched by this part of Jun Lozada’s testimony:
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Dona Pazzibugan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The stark contrast between poor villagers concerned with how hungry birds would find food to eat and greedy politicians and officials drove star witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr. to unbosom himself Friday.
Testifying at a Senate inquiry into the controversial, now-scrapped National Broadband Network (NBN) project, Lozada said he had a difficult time reconciling his work as president of Philippine Forest Corp. (PFC), which takes him to impoverished areas, with his job as a government consultant, which takes him to swanky hotels for meetings involving high-stake deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Palace scoffs at Lacson’s claim
By Dona Pazzibugan, Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Funds from a China loan facility originally meant for a housing project for soldiers and policemen were allegedly diverted to the anomalous $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) project of China’s ZTE Corp., according to key ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.
Lozada told a Senate hearing yesterday that part of a $1.1-billion loan facility which President Macapagal-Arroyo got from China during her trip last April 21, 2007 was meant for military housing and for the upgrade of the Angat Dam, the main source of Metro Manila’s potable water.
But the proceeds of the loan meant for these two projects were instead channeled to the $329-million NBN project.
by JP Lopez
Malaya
ZTE star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. yesterday confirmed that former Elections chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. bribed former Planning Secretary Romulo Neri with P200 million in exchange for approval of the $329 million national broadband network deal with China’s ZTE Corp.
During his Senate appearance that lasted for almost eight hours, Lozada told Senate President pro-tempore Jinggoy Estrada that Abalos was apparently pleased that the negotiations with ZTE people were proceeding smoothly that he told him that the P200 million would be released in advance.
The offer was supposedly made at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong city last September.
Malacañang officials tried to stop Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. from testifying in the anomalous NBN-ZTE deal by sending him to Hong Kong on a contrived official trip.
When he decided to come back last Tuesday, the officials staged his abduction at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on the basis of a cooked-up request for protection by Lozada.
Lozada told yesterday’s Senate hearing that his trip to Hong Kong last Jan. 30 was the idea of Deputy Executive Secretary Manny Gaite.
Inquirer story: Senate to include abduction in Friday hearing
The lawyer of First Gentleman Jose Mi-guel Arroyo yesterday said his client is not bothered by the allegations by ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. that he was involved in the deal, but was annoyed by the lies being peddled to the public and the media.
“He has no reason to react since there was no direct accusation or evidence against him,” Ruy Alberto Rondain said in a press conference at the LTA building in Makati.
Rondain said he requested a short meeting with the First Gentleman, who had just arrived from Europe, to discuss the issue but the latter said he did not want to get involved in politics.
Officers face new raps for resisting transfer
by Victor Reyes
Military officers accused of attempting to overthrow government two years ago were transferred yesterday to the Intelligence Service of the AFP in Camp Aguinaldo from the detention facility in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.
The transfer of 24 of the 28 accused was ordered by AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon to facilitate court martial proceedings which had been held in Camp Capinpin since December 2005. The military announced about two weeks ago that the proceedings will be transferred to Camp Aguinaldo.
A commotion erupted in Camp Capinpin as the accused were being prepared for transfer, according to Ma. Flor Querubin, wife of accused Col. Ariel Querubin.
From the Inquirer:
A “missing” key witness in the national broadband network (NBN) controversy surfaced early Thursday morning and detailed his recollections on the now-nullified government contract with China’s ZTE Corp. in a televised press conference.
Seated with bishops and nuns at the La Salle Greenhills gym in Mandaluyong City, in Metro Manila, starting at 2:30 a.m., Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. narrated chronically his experiences in the preparations of the NBN project with China’s ZTE Corp., including a direct threat made by the now-resigned elections chairman Benjamin Abalos and the apparent involvement of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.