Lozada, de Venecia III get warm welcome at La Salle Mass

Senate witnesses Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr. and businessman Joey de Venecia III received applause from the crowd when they arrived at the La Salle Greenhills Gym in Mandaluyong City Sunday for the Holy Mass organized by former President Corazon Aquino and the La Salle brothers.

ABS-CBN news correspondent Ricky Carandang said Lozada got a warm welcome from the people who trooped to the Sunday morning Mass offered for Lozada. Read Full Article ...

ZTE Corp. of China, the official version

As Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr., a key witness in the cancelled national broadband network project of the government, delivered an explosive testimony at the Senate NBN hearing last Friday, the public felt a renewed interest in the deal and those party to it, particularly ZTE Corp. of China.

Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Co. Limited (ZTE), a global provider of telecom equipment and network solutions founded in 1985, bagged the controversial NBN deal.

Despite allegations of bribery and other under-the-table transactions, ZTE has repeatedly stressed that there was complete transparency in the proposal, evaluation and approval of its application for the Philippines’ NBN contract.

ZTE, in particular, cited its standing as a billion-dollar company which is the only publicly listed telecom manufacturer in the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. The company also said that it has a proven track record for turn-key projects such as the NBN.
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Lozada: 'I am the least likely hero'

"I never imagined myself to become a hero, Mr. Senator."

Senate witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. gave this response when asked about his motives in testifying about alleged irregularities in the $329 million national broadband network deal between the government and China's ZTE Corp.

“Mayroon pa nga akong mga permissible zones di ba? Hindi ako pwedeng maging hero,” Lozada told Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan.

Honasan said that although neither he nor the upper chamber will be Lozada’s judge, the former president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Forest Corp. is still accountable to God and the Filipino people.

“I cannot judge you because I am not sure if what you’re doing is a selfish act of personal survival or an outright act of heroism,” Honasan said.

Lozada admitted being afraid for his life and that survival was one of the factors that led him to reveal what he knew. Read Full Article ...

Moderate their greed: Who's clean, who's not?

"Jun, you moderate their greed."

This order from former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri to then-technical consultant Rodolfo "Jun Lozada Jr. poses questions on who among the personalities involved in the scrapped national broadband network (NBN) project may have wittingly or unwittingly dipped his hands into the mess.

Lozada’s recollection of Neri's statement, delivered at Thursday’s press briefing at the La Salle Greenhills high school in Mandaluyong City, showed that even the government officials involved in the planning stage of the controversial project were aware and "tolerated" the alleged anomalies. Read Full Article ...

Lawyer says Mike Arroyo unlikely to charge Lozada

First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo may not file charges against Senate star witness Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr. for linking the presidential spouse to the aborted $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal.

Roy Rondain, Mr. Arroyo's lawyer, said Lozada did not directly accuse his client regarding the controversial contract.

Rondain said Lozada admitted that he was not sure if it was indeed Mr. Arroyo who was talking to resigned election chief Benjamin Abalos when the former official was pressing the witness to approve the project.Read Full Article ...

'NBN-ZTE scandal could be the end of Arroyo'

The Makati Business Club (MBC) said Thursday that the ZTE-NBN scandal could be the beginning of the end of the Arroyo administration.

MBC executive director Alberto Lim said that the pillars of support of the administration are "collapsing" after the anomalies in the deal were uncovered, ABS-CBN News correspondent Alvin Elchico reported. Read Full Article ...

Arroyo spokesman says Lozada is a liar

A deputy spokesman of President Arroyo on Thursday said government official Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr. was lying when he accused Malacañang of trying to prevent him from testifying in the Senate inquiry on the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal between the government and China's ZTE Corp.

"The first time ko na nakita si Jun Lozada sa isang press conference sinasabi ko na pong kasinungalingan iyong dalawang punto na narinig ko sa press conference (The first time I saw Jun Lozada in the press conference, I said he is lying about two points that I heard in the press conference)," Anthony Golez, Mrs. Arroyo's deputy spokesman, told radio dzMM.
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Lozada: Abalos wanted a $130-M commission

Rodolfo Lozada Jr., the next Senate witness in its investigation into the scrapped national broadband network (NBN) project, bared Thursday that former elections chief Benjamin Abalos Sr. wanted a $130-million commission for the deal.

He said that he was tasked to study a proposal for the project between the groups led by businessman Jose de Venecia III and Abalos.

Lozada, who has been missing since Tuesday afternoon, said Abalos wanted the project to push through with loans.

When he refused to agree to Abalos's wishes, Lozada said that the former elections chairman threatened to have him killed. Read Full Article ...

Lozada brother seeks amparo writ from SC

Fearing for his missing brother's life, Arthur Lozada on Wednesday filed before the Supreme Court (SC) a petition for a writ of amparo.

The move came after lawyer Melencio Sta. Maria, representing Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr.'s wife, earlier asked the high court to issue a writ of habeas corpus to force the police to produce the missing public official.

Arthur told reporters that his brother was shown to his wife, Violet, "as proof of life," but taken away again. Read Full Article ...