The version of Lozada

Ok, we abide with the police version of Lozada at NAIA.

Frankly, I have been battered by arguments that Rodolfo Lozada Jr. had actually been escorted for security reasons from the NAIA. “Okay,” I said, “He was escorted by a security team. But there are certain unanswered questions,” I countered. So, what are they?

First, is it not the normal procedure that you just don't whisk a man away from the tube of the airplane without a by-you-leave? Second, at least, you introduce yourself and the members of the team as well as explain to the person to be secured why he is being escorted out?

I guess that's what scared Lozada. Even assuming that he was being lifted for his own safety, there were other inconsistencies with the statement by General Atutubo who initially claimed that it was only SPO4 Valeroso who was with him. Later, it turned out that there were others. And Valeroso, until now, seems to have become very scarce. Resting kuno in a safehouse. For what reason, only Atutubo knows. Was Valeroso stressed out by his movements with Lozada? If the government official showed no signs of having been exhausted by his alleged ordeal, how come Valeroso got so plastered he has failed to surface until now?

He should at least have given the Senate his version of the story. He is reportedly a civilian agent of the Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM), so who gave him the order to secure Lozada? How come that he did not clearly tell Atutubo his version of the story? And did Atutubo ask for his credentials? And how come that the CCTV showed a lot more people than originally owned by Atutubo?

Okay, the PSG men there were reportedly out to meet the First Gentleman. If so, why did they get involved with escorting out Lozada.

And how come that another senior official of the PNP last night admitted that neither Lozada nor his sister had requested for police security. And that it was only afterwards that he was asked to sign a written request. To clear the police. More mysteries, no?

But it was PNP chief Avelino Razon who had originally claimed that they don't have a Valeroso in their roster of the police. Of course he later backtracked and claimed that Valeroso had retired and was a civilian agent of the AVSECOM. Since when did the AVSECOM have civilian agents?

Senior Supt. Malunes claimed that he did not ask anymore who were threatening Lozada. He also just obeyed orders and did not even know whom to guard against. Usually, one must know who the enemy is and the nature of his armaments or the seriousness of the threat against the life of a person one is supposed to guard. Instead, he just took it line and sinker that he must protect Lozada not knowing against whom.

DENR Secretary Lito Atienza, too, had a lot of unanswered questions. How come he did not know that the papers of Lozada, indicating that he was going to attend a conference in London but stayed in Hongkong escaped the notice of Atienza? That he did not know that Lozada opted not to proceed to his original destination?

But to go back to the airport incident. How come that Lozada was unceremoniously bundled into a waiting Altis. Although in fairness to the authorities, he was not prevented from using his cellphone. But, at one time, he was told peremptorily not to use further his cellphone because after all, those in the car, were intercepting his calls. In short, they must have been made aware that Lozada had already alerted his family members suspicious of his plight.

Then Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, in compliance with the presidential directive to investigate all those involved in the ZTE-NBN scam, ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to do it. Instead, what did the NBI do? They immediately “raided” the office of Lozada at the Philippine Forest Corp. This was purportedly to gather more documents to substantiate the claims of shenanigans by Lozada for which Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, had elicited a mea culpa response from Lozada.

There are a lot more unanswered questions by the government officials. And the public perception is that Lozada is now the main culprit in the scam which he had blown the whistle on. Can you help it if the government loses its credibility among the people? I heard yesterday that mayors and other local government officials of Negros Occidental and been summoned to Malacañang. What's the importance of the meeting that they are called to Manila for such a confab? It grows a lot more mysterious.

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While we have been focused on what's going on in Manila on the ZTE-NBN broadband Senate probe, we suddenly found ourselves yesterday jarred by the discovery of a three-year-old girl, missing since nine days go. Beheaded. Her hands and feet showed signs of injuries inflicted including on her body. We can only sympathize with Milagros Lampinid, her mother, who must have suffered intense anguish at the sight of the beheaded corpse in Magsungay. This is heinous crime which the police must solve soon. I hope, since the family is poor, they don't end up likes the victims of a similar incident in Banago sometime back. Until now, that case has remained unsolved.*

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