Press Release
April 30, 2009

Pia slams arrest, airs support for Jun Lozada

Senate minority bloc member Senator Pia S. Cayetano today condemned the arrest of Engineer Rodolfo 'Jun' Lozada, star witness in the Senate probe of the anomalous ZTE-NBN contract, stemming from a perjury case filed against him by former presidential chief of staff Mike Defensor in a Manila trial court.

"I strongly condemn the arrest of Jun Lozada. The perjury case is obviously meant to get back at him for exposing the truth. The basis of the case is trivial, ridiculous and pales in comparison to the gravity of bribery, overpricing and cover-up committed in the botched NBN-ZTE deal," said Cayetano, a lawyer and Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice.

"This is a perversion of justice, one of the many committed under the Arroyo government. I pray that truth prevails in the end, and Lozada will be vindicated," she stressed.

Cayetano noted that there were many irregularities unearthed in the course of the Senate hearings, yet no arrests have been made.

"In fact, the Ombudsman could not even come up with initial findings for so many crimes committed by people in higher office. No warrant has been issued, no action has been taken, and so I definitely feel that the action against Jun Lozada is there because of political reasons."

"This case is perjury, but what about the other, more serious crimes? That's what I want to know. And who I hold accountable for this is the highest leader of the land--the President herself. She could have ordered the Ombudsman to charge those responsible for the ZTE-NBN contract because people are getting impatient. She could have asked the courts to prioritize these cases, but how come it's Jun Lozada's case that's prospering?"

"I believe I speak for many in saying that the perjury case against Lozada is plain political harassment. We support Jun, we believe that he is being harassed. Pero kung meron man talagang kaso, susuportahan din namin na harapin nya yan, para wala silang masabi."

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