Two news items yesterday recall to mind NBN/ZTE star whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada and his meeting with President Aquino in Malacanang last February.
The other news item was the downgrading by the Court of Appeals into “simple misconduct” of the Ombudsman’s ruling finding him guilty of grave misconduct for his role in the aborted $329 million National Broadband Network deal with the Chinese telecommunication firm, ZTE.
Why Jun Lozada?
The two news items illustrate the risks that a whistleblower has to face if he decides to take on bigtime operators who have built deep and wide network within the government.
In the NBN/ZTE controversy, second only to the Hello Garci scandal as far as negative impact on the Arroyo administration, both Neri and Lozada were privy to the behind the scenes machinations that tripled the cost of the telecommuncations project.
Neri’s damning revelations of former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos (“Sec, may 200 ka dito”) role in a project that was unrelated to elections, indicated the level of corruption of that deal. Sad to say, Neri decided to stop there.
Taking refuge under the doctrine of “executive privilege” Neri saved Gloria Arroyo.
The decision to testify for the government turned Lozada’s life upside down. He was kidnapped upon arrival from Hongkong and he was charged with plunder by his deputy in the Philippine Forest Corporation. Lozada is currently out on bail.
He continues to be the star witness in the NBN/ZTE deal which is being tried by the Sandiganbayan, the same court that tries his plunder case.
Last February, Lozada accompanied by three friends and supporters, one of them, crusader Sr Mary John Mananzan, met with the President in Malacañang and they told the President the weird situation where the star witness in the high profile graft case is being prosecuted for plunder in another case.
The President told them that he cannot intervene in the justice proceedings. What he could do, Lozada quoted the President as having said, if he (Lozada) would be convicted, he could commute the sentence or pardon him.
A very much dismayed Mananzan remarked, “What’s going to happen to your anti-corruption campaign? What’s going to happen to the NBN/ZTE case if Jun is convicted?”
Lozada said the President replied that the government is having second thoughts about pursuing the case because anyway no harm was done to the Filipino people .
With the slap on Neri’s wrist of “simple misconduct” while Lozada faces plunder, Gloria Arroyo and her associates must be rolling in laughter.
Yesterday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she wants to put Luy under the Witness Protection Program as she said, she is aware of the danger that whistleblower faces. It is hoped that the protection stays until the masterminds of the scam are punished. The country owes these whistleblowers.
Remember, too, the Fertilizer Scam. The employees of the suppliers who explained to the Senate every intricate detail how the scam was carried out which the Senate must be thankful for because those witnesses’ testimonies are crucial to the conviction of the culprits should a case be brought to court.
Well what do you know, Sen. Gordon who headed the Blue Ribbon Committee then, recommended their prosecution like they were the masterminds and Jocjoc’s alibis and denials were swallowed hook, line and sinker. The whistleblowers were effectively muzzled and harassed by the threat that hung like a sword above their necks I doubt these same people would testify for the government and against themselves.
According to Inquirer
P10B to senators/congressmen, what’s a few millions for FIXcal Navera?
Si Romy Neri simple misconduct lang, dafuq! Sakit ng tiyan sa katatawa talaga nina Goyang.
“… Lozada said the President replied that the government is having second thoughts about pursuing the case because anyway no harm was done to the Filipino people.”
Wala naman daw nangyari kaya ok lang. TWISTED!
#2 tongue, sinabi mo pa, “FIXcal Navera”!
Sa hirap ng pinagdaanan ni Lozada na muntikanan pang maging pulbos sa Cavite wala naman palang kaso at balak hindi ituloy ni Noy ang kaso ng NBN/ZTE, it disappoints to the max! Walang lesson at hindi dapat matakot ang mga koraps!
nabulag tayo sa “DAANG MATUWID” ng kasalukuyang administrasyon. tuwid na daan nga ngunit BAKU-BAKO, LUBAK LUBAK at MADILIM.
boss daw nila tayo. meron ba’ng boss na GINAGAGO?
walang mangyayari sa mga ibinubunyag ng mga whistleblowers na ‘yan habang ang mga inaakusahan AY lilitisin ng kanilang sariling hanay.
‘yang pork barrel scam ay MAAARING totoo nga subalit gagawing isang dahilan ng mga kinauukulan upang malihis ang ating atensiyon at hindi matiktikan ang ibang mas matitinding katiwalian.
alalahanin natin, TRILYONG PISO ang badyet ng gobyerno!
“…….the President replied that the government is having second thoughts about pursuing the case because anyway no harm was done to the Filipino people…….”
sino ba ang maysagot nito? si penoy? si valte? si lacierda? si ochoa? SINO?
anaknampanutsa! ano ba kayo, mga latak ng administrasyon ni gloria?
aba’y wala na talagang katapusan ang pagdurusa ng taong bayan kung ganyan ang katwiran ng mga nasa poder. ano’ng akala ng mga nasa malakanyang, natutuwa ang mga tao sa ipinagmamalaki nilang kusing na pantawid gutom na binlid lamang kung ikukumpara sa milyon milyong napupunta sa kanilang bulsa?
naka-flash sa TFC ang magarbong handa sa SANA ni penoy. hindi mabilang na mamahaling putahe. pinapasilip pa ang mamahaling mga susuutin ng ating mga mambabatas na kayamanan na ng isang maralita. ilang milyong piso ang gagastusin sa dalawang oras na ipag-uulat ng pangulo sa mga accomplishments ng kanyang administrasyong nagtatampok ng kasaganaang bunga ng lumalagong ekonomiya na hindi maramdaman ng karaniwang mamamayang may trabaho sa loob ng ilang buwan at pagkatapos ay taon ang binibilang sa pagtingala sa buwan.
maging totoo ka naman, penoy!
Court orders arrest of whistleblower Benhur Luy
By Tetch Torres-Tupas
INQUIRER.net
The Pasig regional trial court Branch 265 has ordered the arrest of Benhur Luy, the whistleblower in the P10-billion pork barrel fund scam.
The Pasig court issued the arrest order in connection with the qualified theft case filed by Janet Lim-Napoles, employer and alleged brains behind the scam…..
Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, meanwhile, said she would ask the Pasig Court to allow Luy to remain in justice department’s custody. Luy was provisionally accepted in the government’s Witness Protection Program late Thursday.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/448235/pasig-court-orders-arrest-of-pork-scam-whistleblower
Wow, ang lakas ng hila ni Napoles-Lim sa Pasig regional trial court, arestado agad si Luy!
Pinaiikot ang kaso, sinu-sino kaya ang nasa likuran ni Napoles-Lim na meron super power, kundi man magkano.
Korek, Chi.
tanungin n’yo si kapitan agimat, alam n’ya kung sino sino ang backer ni lim-napoles kaya ganyan kadali ang pag-isyu ng arrest warrant kay benhur luy.
maliwanag pa ‘yan sa sikat ng araw, eh. maraming anggulo’ng dapat isaalang alang kung bakit merong mga wisel blower na malakas ang torotot. isa na riyan ang lamangan at onsehan sa partihan. impasibol na walang katotohanan ang ganyang mga paratang dahil bilyon ang halagang pinag-uusapan. nagsusulputan na rin ang pagkabisto ng ilang pekeng NGO’ng ang masaklap pa ay paulit ulit na napapaso ang SEC permit subalit paulit ulit ding nakakapagparehistro sa dahilang mga taga SEC din lamang ang nakakaalam.
ganyan kadiretso ang daang matuwid ni penoy. taong bayan ang nagdudurusa sa pagpupumilit nilang tuwirin ang lahat ng kabaluktutan!
ipupusta ko ang pustiso ng kapitbahay ni tongue sa san pedro, hindi malulutas at walang mahahatulan sa kasong ito. sayang na la’ang ang brilliance ni ingkong juan pagdating sa paghokus pokus ng batas na huwag nating pagtakhan sapagkat hindi siya magtatagal nang ganyan sa pulitika kung wala siyang kinatatakutan kapag wala na siyang hawak na kapangyarihan.
madala na ang taong bayan lalo na ‘yung mga taga cagayan. huwag nang iboto ang sinumang kakandidato sa kanyang angkan sapagkat magiging tagapagsanggalang lamang upang laging malihis ang dapat ay patong patong na kasong pandarambong, pagnanakaw, pagpatay at pangkalahatang paglabag sa batas niyang si tandang juan!
Qualified theft is not a non-bailable offense. So the defense lawyer can file a motion for bail.
The prosecutor may argue that Luy is a flight risk. Yeah right. That is why he is running to the government (witness protection) instead of away from it.
I will file administrative charges before the Ombudsman against Navera who recommended no bail. Bail is a matter of right if the offense is not a capital offense.
Nasaan na ang magiting na Aling Conching ni Noy? Still fixated on Corona?
At iyang Aling Leila na yan? Di ba’t hawak niya si Navera? Hindi pa suspended? Is there a motion for reinvestigation before the Secretary of the DOJ on the charge of qualified theft? Then Navera should back off.
My problem with this Delay Ma, ang kanyang WPP ay pulpol. Baka diyan pa mamatay si Luy.
lapse of judgment ‘yan, di ba atorni? puwede rin sigurong abuse of discretion. pero mas malamang na ignorance of the law ‘ata.
kasi ba naman, sobra nga ang powers ni jane, eh.
sasala ang sandok sa rice cooker, pero hindi ang sapantaha kong matitindi ang law offices na bumabak ap kay multi billion peso lady napoles.