Filipino People Can Definitely Read Their Lines, Who Is Covering Something

Monday’s 10-hour marathon Senate hearing on the alleged abduction of Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr. had at least three senators believing that the witness was indeed "kidnapped" to prevent him from testifying about the government’s controversial national broadband (NBN) project.The Senate panel, composed of three committees, not only grilled government witnesses on the alleged abduction but also scrutinized Lozada to again test his credibility."Ako lang ho yata ang VIP na nagpapahatid sa Pasig pero dinala sa Los Baños (I may be the only VIP [very important person] who was asking to be brought to Pasig but was taken to Los Baños)," said Lozada.Some of the senators believe that government resource persons, including Environment Secretary Lito Atienza and Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon Jr., were obviously covering up something."May cover-up na nangyari at siguradong sisirain ang kredibilidad ni Lozada lalo na’t ang kanyang mga istorya ay consistent (There is a cover up and they are trying to destroy Lozada’s credibility especially that his story is consistent)," said Sen. Manuel Roxas."From the very start naman hindi nakikipa-cooperate ang mga taga-gobyerno marahil dahil may tinatago (From the very beginning the government witnesses are not cooperating. Maybe because they are hiding something)," said Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.During the hearing, Lozada identified the group he believes behind the death threats he was receiving." 'Yung threat po sa grupo ni [former] election chairman [Benjamin] Abalos (The threat comes from the group of chairman Abalos)," he said.Administration Sen. Joker Arroyo, however, said Lozada’s abduction story remains unclear to him."It is a case of he says, she says, his words against half a dozen people," he said.Around 6 p.m., Lozada was visibly exhausted. He was taken to the Senate’s clinic for a check-up. He returned for another round of questioning after 30 minutes.The hearing ended shortly after 8 p.m.Cops clueless on 'threat' to LozadaEarlier, police Senior Superintendent Paul Mascariñas, who was tasked to secure Lozada last week, admitted that he did not know who Lozada was hiding from.Mascariñas, deputy director of the Police Security and Protection Office (PSPO), told the Senate that he was only ordered to form a team and proceed to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to fetch and protect a person he did not know."While having lunch with my director, Chief Superintendent Romeo Hilomen instructed me to form a team [and fetch someone at the airport]," Mascariñas said, adding that he only knew Lozada was somehow connected to the botched $329-million NBN mess.He said he did not ask the Senate witness who he was hiding from. He said the threats could come from "the administration, the NPA (New People’s Army) or even from anyone."For his part, Angel Atutubo, security chief of the Manila International Airport Authority, said he did not ask the policemen why they were took Lozada from the airport.Atutubo said the Rodolfo Valeroso of the police Aviation Security Group, whom he initially identified as Senior Police Officer 4 Roger Valeroso, was the only person who coordinated Lozada's request for protection with the MIAA.The retired military general said the people who took the Senate witness only told him that "they will provide maximum security for Lozada."He, however, failed to ask what kind of threat Lozada was receiving and how severe the threats were.Senate President Manuel Villar, meanwhile, said he "resents" the way airport, police and government officials wanted to make it look like that Lozada was running away from the Senate."I noticed that there is some kind of an attitude on the part of our law enforcement people, government officials from the executive department, like there is a tendency to prevent [Lozada] from attending to the Senate," Villar said."It seems something big is going to happen and Lozada will be killed," he added.Atienza: I acted on my ownAtienza, meanwhile, said he acted on his own when he asked police to provide protection for Lozada upon his arrival from Hong Kong.Atienza said Lozada approached him "emotionally distressed and on the verge of tears" and asked for protection."Mr. Lozada sought my help, I granted it. Mr. Lozada was in Hong Kong and I thought he was on his way to London. When he said he was still in Hong Kong, it surprised me," he said.He added that while in Hong Kong, Lozada told him that he would like to cancel his trip to London, where he was scheduled to attend a seminar about reforestation and jathropa development, and return to Manila.Atienza said he called up the PNP and requested for Lozada's protection upon his arrival.The environment chief denied that Lozada was kidnapped."He was not made incommunicado. There was no force used on him. He was able to go to La Salle freely that [Tuesday] night," Atienza said in Tagalog.He added: "Gentlemen, ladies, the incident at the airport and from that time up to the end and where we are now, I am stressing that there was no kidnapping at all."Atienza said he went to the Senate to clear his name, which he said he has been trying to retain untainted for 36 years since he entered politics.Neri distances self from Lozada testimony; FG mumChairman Romulo Neri of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said he does not know where Lozada got information that he was offered a P200-million bribe to approve the NBN project of the government."How can he know? He was not there," Neri told ABS-CBN News as Lozada testified at the Senate.He also dismissed a statement saying that President Arroyo was the one who told him to ignore the bribe allegedly offered by Abalos.According to the CHED chief, Lozada cannot speak for him since he is not his spokesman. At the same time, Neri said he cannot speak for Lozada.Meanwhile, First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo declined to grant media interviews on his alleged involvement in the NBN project.An ABS-CBN News team chanced upon Mr. Arroyo as he was leaving the family-owned LTA Building in Makati City on Monday, around the same time the Senate was grilling several resource persons for its probe into the allegedly overpriced $329-million deal.Instead of granting an interview, President Arroyo's husband merely waved and said that he is "OK."The sighting Monday was the first on Mr. Arroyo since he returned to the country last week following a trip to Europe.A statement from Ruy Rondain, his lawyer, meanwhile, denied accusations that the presidential spouse was involved in the NBN project, which the President eventually scrapped because of allegations of overpricing and other anomalies.