Lozada is under our protection – PNP

By Ronron
February 6, 2008

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said Wednesday that Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr., a supposed witness to the investigation on the cancelled anomalous deal between the government and ZTE Corporation for the National Broadband Network (NBN) project. is being protected by policemen.

Razon said Lozada is being secured by elements of the Police Security and Protection Office (PSPO) at an undisclosed place in response to his request due to alleged threat to his life.

“What I know is Mr. Lozada requested for security so the PSPO gave him that, and now, he is with elements of the PSPO,” Razon told reporters yesterday morning at Camp Crame.

Lozada, who was hired as a consultant for the NBN project, arrived in the country on Monday afternoon from Hongkong. He is currently connected with the Philippine Forest Corporation, a government owned and controlled corporation.

The Senate ordered for his arrest and that of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Romulo Neri because of their non-appearance recently at a hearing on the ZTE scandal.

Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, son of the ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., had implicated First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos in the alleged bribery by ZTE officials to get the NBN deal.

Lozada arrived in Manila around 5pm Tuesday but he was immediately brought to an undisclosed location, prompting some of his family members to seek help from some government officials and the media.

PSPO head Chief Supt. Romeo Hilomen said four personnel escorted and secured Lozada from the airport. He said they intentionally did not make it public because it might bring more harm and danger to Lozada.

Razon said he himself only learned that Lozada is being secured by PSPO personnel dawn of Wednesday.

“He (Lozada) made a request for security because he fears for his life, and he is afraid that he will be arrested and be brought to other places,” Razon said.

“He put his request in written form upon his arrival (at the airport). Although, before that, his sister already wrote the PSPO, requesting security for her brother,” he added.

Hilomen identified the sister of Lozada who made the request as Carmen. Carmen allegedly said that her brother has been receiving death threats.

According to Razon, Lozada was at a place of his choice, and not in a safehouse of the PSPO or the PNP. Hilomen also said that Lozada is not being restricted, rather he can move around, only that the PSPO personnel will closely guard him.

But both officials assured that should Lozada decide to terminate the services of the PSPO or appear before the Senate, the PNP can always remove his security personnel.

“We’re not cuddling Mr. Lozada. In fact, if we are directed to bring him, we will bring him to the Senate,” Hilomen said.

Razon stressed that they did not violate any law, much less disrespected the arrest warrant of the Senate against Lozada by keeping him in its custody because the Senate order anyway can only be implemented within the Senate premises.

“There is no obstruction of justice on our part… There is no irregularity here in what we did,” he said.

He said the PNP will be ready to face any legal challenge that will be raised against them for taking Lozada in its custody.

One thing that Razon assured though to the public is that Lozada is “safe” and “doing well.”

In fact, a member of Lozada’s family is already with him since yesterday morning, the PNP chief said.

The Black and White Movement (BWM), a civil society group, has raised the possibility that Lozada was taken by government agents so he cannot testify in the Senate inquiry on the ZTE scandal.

BWM Lead Convenor Vicente Romano III said Lozada had allegedly decided to spill the beans after he felt that Neri’s testimony at the Senate did not bring out all the truth behind the ZTE scandal.

The Senate had wanted to hear from Neri what President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told him about the deal with ZTE after he reported to her that Abalos implied to him that he will receive a kickback if he approves the NBN project in favor of the Chinese telecommunication firm. Neri had invoked then the “executive privilege” of a Cabinet member with the President, preventing him from telling the public what transpired between his talk with Arroyo./DMS