Negros Occidental congressmen yesterday said the revelations of Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the key witness in the Senate investigation into the $329-million national broadband network controversy, is not enough to lead to the ouster of President Gloria Arroyo, and called them “hearsay” and “questionable”.

But Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra yesterday said that in the light of Lozada's testimony “The lay people should now take up the cudgels and initiate moves to arouse the conscience of the public to make government accountable and responsible to all.”

“The Church does not advocate violence but there should be concerted efforts to pressure the culprits to case out the truth,” said Navarra, who has called for prayers for the safety of Lozada.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has called for “communal action” following Lozada's exposé on alleged corruption involving top public officials.

“Civil society is being challenged to draw their communal discernment by watching the developments of events,” Navarra quoted CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo as saying.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo yesterday declared full-support to the CBCP call for communal action and called on the Bishops to support street protests.

“It's high-time for the people to translate the Bishops' call into direct street protests," Ocampo said

The Bayan Muna lawmaker also renewed calls for the President to resign in the wake of this latest scandal rocking the administration.

‘IT'S PREMATURE'

“We respect the CBCP's call for communal action but consider it premature,” Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said yesterday.

“Communal action precisely calls for circumspection, a consideration of all the facts, and due regard for what will serve the common good in the long term,” he said.

The proper venue for the determination of truth and justice lies in the courts, not in an emotionally-charged forum, Bunye said, referring to the Senate hearings.

Government officials who testified before the Senate yesterday denied that Lozada was kidnapped on his return to the Philippines to prevent him from testifying on the bribe-tainted NBN contract with China 's ZTE Corp., which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo eventually scrapped.

Lozada, however, stood pat on his testimony that he was picked up at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on his arrival from HongKong against his will.

‘NOT ENOUGH TO OUST'

Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson (Neg. Occ., 3 rd District) said Lozada's testimony was not enough to lead to the ouster of the President because it is mostly hearsay and perceptions.

Unified support of the military and the business sector for a campaign to oust the President would be needed but that does not exist, Lacson said.

Plus the economy is doing fine, he added.

Lozada's testimonies are questionable – the police are coming out with their own version of what happened, Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2 nd District) said.

Rep. Genaro Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6 th District), Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ., 5 th District), and Negros Occidental Acting Gov. Isidro Zayco also said they do not believe what Lozada was saying would be enough to oust the President.

“He has politicized the (Senate) hearing. Up to now he has not answered the fact that he gave a government insurance contract to his so-called wife. He has neither shown any proof of anomalies. All his statements are innuendoes. There is no tangible proof,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo charged that Lozada is being used as a tool by the opposition and ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

“As Senator Miriam ( Santiago ) pointed out, Mr. Lozada has a major character flaw,” the solon said.

BUSINESSMEN REACT

Roberto Montelibano, president of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said right now he does not think Lozada's testimony has enough basis to seek the ouster of the President.

The amount of commission allegedly being sought by those he implicated for the broadband project is very improbable because it is almost 50 percent of the project, Montelibano said.

It is common knowledge that politicians usually get 20 percent commissions, he said.

I don't think Loazada's claims will trigger widespread clamor for the President's resignation, he said.

James Chua, president of the Bacolod Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said it is too early to judge the effects Lozada's testimony will have on the administration and the economy.

Whenever there are political problems they are bound to affect the economy, some businessmen will take a wait-and-see attitude before investing, he said.

“I think personally Jun Lozada is telling the truth but we have to listen to all sides and conclude later,” Chua said.

PEOPLE ARE TIRED

In the CBCP statement, Lagdameo said that the “confession” recently made by Lozada and ousted House Speaker de Venecia may save people from being hostage to scandalous and shady government deals.

“Only the truth, not lies and deceits, will set our country free. This truth challenges us now to communal action,” he said.

Bunye, however, said President Arroyo is confident of finishing her term in 2010 despite the political turmoil stirred by the inquiry into the l broadband network deal.

"We've said that people are tired of destabilization. You know we have had more serious problems before, and the trend of street protests has been going down consistently," Bunye said.*CPG

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