Senate witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada is scheduled to speak at three venues in Bacolod City Friday afternoon, Fr. Anecito Buenafe, director of the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Bacolod, said yesterday.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, Negros Occidental police director, said he has not received any information of threats on the life of Lozada in the province amid fears raised that he could be in danger during his provincial sorties and security measures had to be taken.

They are creating their own ghosts, Franco said.

Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar, Bacolod police director, said organizers have not requested for police assistance during the Lozada visit. They have not coordinated with us for security, he said.

In Bacolod, Lozada will speak at the Sanctuario de La Salle at the University of St. La Salle from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., and at the La Consolacion College Auditorium from 4 to 5 p.m.

At 5:15 p.m. on Friday he will join a concelebrated mass for truth at the San Sebastian Cathedral and will address the mass goers after the Holy Communion.

At 6:30 p.m. he will join a forum with the clergy and nuns at the Bishop’s House. Bishop Vicente Navarra and the priests of the Diocese of Bacolod have called for the resignation of President Gloria Arroyo saying she has lost the moral authority to govern.

Lozada will be arriving in Bacolod from Iloilo.

On Friday morning, Lozada will join a two-kilometer march for “truth, justice and accountability” in Iloilo City.

In a press conference, Iloilo groups belonging to the Alliance for Truth and Justice, yesterday said thousands of protesters including students, professionals, lawyers and businessmen are expected to join the protest march calling for accountability in the scrapped NBN-ZTE project.

Lozada will be met my multi-sectoral groups on his arrival at the Iloilo airport in Sta. Barbara town. The contingent will caravan from the airport to the University of San Agustin in this city where Lozada will meet with the Augustinian community.

Protesters assembled at the University of San Agustin and Lozada will then march to the De Paul College in Jaro District where a protest rally and forum will be held. Other protesters are expected to join along the protest route from schools and communities.

Iloilo City is known as an administration bailiwick where the President and administration candidates have won by a large margin in the last elections. Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, chair of the League of Cities of the Philippines, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and his son and namesake Iloilo Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr. are staunch allies of the President.

“The protest actions which are joined by more and more Ilonggos show that the people here are rejecting the corruption plaguing the administration despite the pro-administration stand of most Ilonggo officials,” said Hope Hervilla, regional coordinator of the party-list group Bayan Muna.

Rev. Stanley Flores of the Jesus Is Lord Movement urged public officials to come out and join the calls for “truth, justice and accountability” amid allegations of bribery involving top officials of the government on the scrapped deal.*CPG/NPB

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