Community Civil Rights Ang Kapatiran Party Supports Jun Lozada, As Senator Pimentel Says Lozada Is Entitled to Senate Protection
| Ang Kapatiran Party Supports Jun Lozada, As Senator Pimentel Says Lozada Is Entitled to Senate Protection |
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| Communities - Civil Rights | |||
| Written by Bobby M. Reyes | |||
| Monday, 04 May 2009 07:53 | |||
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A ng Kapatiran, a national political party which seeks to promote a more transparent and accountable political culture, reiterates its support for Jun Lozada. In the meantime, Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., has issued a statement reiterating his position that Mr. Lozada is entitled to the protection by the Philippine Senate.
Ang Kapatiran urges every Filipino especially the youth to solidly stand by Jun at this time and make sure that the truth behind the highly anomalous NBN-ZTE deal as well as his own kidnapping is unveiled.
H ere is the full statement of the Ang Kapatiran Party, as released to the Filipino Fourth Estate:
“We condemn this administration's vile attempts at suppressing and manipulating justice. The issuance of the warrant of arrest against Mr. Lozada highlights the dysfunctional justice system that plagues us.
“We question, in behalf of the Filipino people, this government's indifference and apathy to prosecute Abalos, the Arroyos, Neri, Atienza, Razon, and other high-ranking government officials who participated in this high level cover up. To see Jun arrested for perjury while other powerful and well-connected characters who attempted to plunder, to kidnap and to kill, scot-free with government posts and mining contracts is a travesty of justice.
“Now on Mike Defensor who ‘wants a fair chance’ in clearing his name, we ask, what name? While Jun Lozada and family live under abnormal circumstances as he opted to speak the truth, Mr. Defensor is living the life, engaging in the lucrative government-awarded mining contracts in Zambales. What fair chance?
“We have no other recourse but to pray and to be steadfast in demanding an accounting for all these crimes against the Filipino people.”
http://s440.photobucket.com/albums/qq123/IgorotPower/?action=view¤t=moralforce3x3.jpg
Lozada Entitled to Protection by the Senate – Senator Pimentel
M inority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said the Senate is duty-bound to support and protect NBN-ZTE witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada but not to the extent of being perceived as encroaching on the jurisdiction of the court over any complaint against him.
Senator Pimentel stressed that the Senate should refrain from any action that will create the wrong impression that it enjoys preponderance over the judiciary on matters that are within its competence to resolve.
He made the statement as a group of senators are set to file a motion with the Manila Regional Trial Court today seeking the release from jail of Lozada to them on recognizance. The move was based on the presumption that Lozada remains under Senate’s custody as a witness to the NBN-ZTE controversy.
“If the court is discharging its duties in accordance with the scope of its authority and jurisdiction, the better course of action – and this is my personal opinion – is to post bail for Jun Lozada so that the court can order his release,” the minority leader said.
Mr. Lozada said he would prefer to be imprisoned, rather than post bail for his temporary liberty, because he wanted the court to rule on the perjury case filed against him by former Presidential Chief-of-Staff and Secretary Michael Defensor.
“I know that Lozada does not want to post bail but he has not said that you should not post bail in his behalf. An accused person can post bail by himself or another person may do it on his behalf,” he said.
S enator Pimentel said Lozada at the same time can request the court to allow him to be put back under Senate custody for his protection. He pointed out that the whistleblower was placed under the Senate’s witness protection program to prevent him from being harmed.
Under the judicial system enshrined in the Constitution, he pointed out that the decision on matters regarding guilt or innocence of an accused person rests with the courts and not with the law-making body.
Senator Pimentel said that although Lozada should face the charges against him in court, he believes that this part of the administration’s harassment against him.
“And that is what is deplorable about the whole thing. Lozada who is risking his life to denounce corruption in government is being persecuted and jailed while those who are trying to silence him or are engaged in the cover-up of a scam are being rewarded. That should not happen in a democratic society like us,” he said. Senator Pimentel said he plans to visit Lozada in prison as soon as his health condition improves to show his support for him and his cause. # # #
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| Last Updated on Monday, 04 May 2009 15:31 |
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Subject: KAYANATIN SUPPORT FOR JUN LOZADA
To: "Harvey Keh" , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Cc: "Gov. Among Ed Panlilio", mario.panlilio, "Antonio Javellana Ledesma", "Monika Tarra Quismundo", "Juan L Mercado", "Marissa Pestano"
With all due respect to Gov. Panlilio and the other leaders of Kayanatin, allow me to offer and suggest a different perspective on Jun Lozada.
I believe Jun Lozada is telling part of the truth but not the whole truth. I believe he owes it to everyone to tell the whole truth.
I believe Lozada when he says that Mike Arroyo maneuvered to have the NBN deal awarded to Abalos and ZTE. I believe Mike Arroyo was carrying out the President's instructions. Malacanang was, therefore, bribing Abalos as payback for past favors and to secure future favors from the Comelec. Should Mike Arroyo go to jail? Yes. Should Gloria Arroyo go to jail? Yes. Should Abalos go to jail? Yes. And Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez should also join them.
That's the partial truth that Lozada has exposed. The whole truth, however, goes like this: Before ZTE came into the picture, Jun Lozada and Joey de Venecia were agreeable to giving Ben Abalos Thirty Million US Dollars ($30,000.000.00) part of which Abalos was going to distribute among various officers of NEDA, CICT and DOTC to make sure that Joey de Venecia would get the NBN Deal. Jun Lozada was managing the tedious approval process for Joey de Venecia and would necessarily be amply awarded for his efforts. Isn't bribery of public officials a crime? Thirty-million Dollars is One-and-a-Half-Billion Pesos (PHP 1.5 Billion)! Kahit BOT ito, saan nila babawiin ang Php1.5 Billion? Di puro substandard at kulang-kulang na naman ang delivery ng various components ng project. Hindi ba Php 50 Million lang ay plunder na? During his Senate testimony, Lozada said that 130-million ay bubukol but baka puede pa sa 65 million. Which meant that Lozada would have been agreeable to allow Abalos' group to pad the project's price by Sixty-Five-Million US Dollars or PHP 3.2 BILLION.
Mike Arroyo and President Gloria were giving money to Abalos. That's the provable point. It's not sure whether Mike/Gloria meant to take money for their own personal non-political benefit. Joey de Venecia and Jun Lozada would have raked in the money for themselves. So the total truth is this: Jun Lozada and Joey de Venecia also committed grave crimes and must also go to jail. Anyway on several instances Jun Lozada has said that he is willing to go to jail. Which brings to mind the example of Chavit Singson who said then that he was ready to go to jail as long as Erap goes to jail with him.
Chavit's case is an illustration what can happen if people like Jun Lozada and Joey de Venecia go scott-free.
Chavit should have gone to jail with Erap. He would have taken the stand against Erap even if the government refused to give him immunity. The government should have taken that chance to break Chavit's warlordism in Ilocos Sur to allow for true democracy to have a chance to flower in that province. Because Chavit wasn't prosecuted on the national level, the Ilocos Sur auditor who was investigating a number of cases against Chavit was killed and no one has been arrested or charged.
A politician who had the temerity to challenge Chavit in an election was ambushed and although the politician escaped the ambush, his wife and child were killed and no one has been arrested and punished and jueteng and smuggling continue unabated in Ilocos Sur. And Chavit is now Assistant Secretary for National Security.
What will happen if we don't send Jun Lozada and Joey de Venecia to jail? Joey de Venecia may become a Congressman and Jun Lozada may be a Congressman too. And then do we still need to ask ourselves why our elected leaders are as corrupt as they are?
Why jail only Mike Arroyo and Gloria Arroyo and Ben Abalos while glorifying Lozada and De Venecia--who is calling for a "Moral Revolution" together with his father, Joe de Venecia, when all of them should go to jail. Are we so bereft of strength as a people that the only way we can throw out corrupt people from high office is by relying on their equally corrupt enemies?
Hindi ba ito ang dahilan kung bakit hindi tayo makaahon sa lusak? Dahil nagpapali-palitan lang ang mga trapo kasi para mapalitan lang ang nakaupo ay ok lang sa atin na iluklok ang opposition na bulok din naman--pagkatapos ay magtataka pa tayo kung magnakaw din ang ipinalit natin?
So what I would like to suggest to kayantin is to demand that Jun Lozada tell not only the partial truth but the whole truth, which should include the crimes of Jun Lozada and Joey de Venecia in the NBN Deal.
Hindi po ba bago magtestify sa korte ay pinanunumpa ang testigo "to tell the truth, the WHOLE truth and nothing but the truth." Ang nangyari ay ibinunton ang lahat ng sisi kay Mike Arroyo, Gloria at Ben Abalos at naghugas ng kamay at tumatawag ng
Moral Revolution ang dalawang tao--si Jun at Joey--na kung sa kanila na-award ang NBN Deal ay kilig na kilig sa tuwa na bigyan sa Ben Abalos at ang NEDA, CICT at DOTC ng bilyun-bilyung pisong suhol.
The Youtube tapes attached are the incontrovertible evidence that indict Jun Lozada and Joey de Venecia.
Respectfully,
Enrique Angeles