inquirer may 1

Who refuted ‘Garci’ tape authentic?

By Leila Salaverria, Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:14:00 05/01/2009

Filed Under: NBN deal, Graft & Corruption, Crime, Politics


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Close this MANILA, Philippines—Who is the liar between the President’s former chief of staff Michael Defensor and whistle-blower Rodolfo Lozada?

This was the question posed by Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño Thursday as he came to Lozada’s defense and commended him for making the sacrifices he has made.

Pressed to answer his own question, Casiño replied with more questions. He asked, who had presented a supposed audio expert to refute claims that the “Hello Garci” tapes were authentic? And who claimed that he had rescued witness Eugenio “Udong” Mahusay from a Tagaytay safehouse?

Mahusay was the star witness in the allegations that the President’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, had maintained a secret bank account. Following the alleged rescue, Mahusay recanted his statements against the President’s husband.

Lozada was arrested the other day in connection with the perjury case Defensor filed against him for saying in court that Defensor had told him to deny any anomaly in the deal between the government and China’s ZTE Corp. for a national broadband network project because the President was being hurt.

Moderate the greed

Lozada testified in the Senate last year that the deal was overpriced by $130 million to accommodate hefty commissions and that he was instructed by Romulo Neri, director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, to “moderate the greed” of those vying for the project.

“Compare Mike Defensor with Jun Lozada. Who is the liar?” Casiño said at the Serye forum in Quezon City.

Cover-up for Arroyo

Lozada Thursday slipped a note for members of the media, accusing Defensor of covering up for Ms Arroyo’s involvement in the $329-million NBN-ZTE deal.

“I am now asking Mike Defensor and Malacañang to substantiate the accusations against me and I stand by my words that Mike Defensor is doing this to cover up for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s criminal involvement in the NBN-ZTE deal,” said the note written in big bold letters on a piece of yellow pad paper. It was read by Sr. Estrella Castallone to members of the media.

Lozada said he would not post the P6,000 bail and assured his supporters that he would face all accusations leveled against him.

“I reiterate my stand and my decision is not to surrender but rather it is standing my ground to face my families’ abusers. I value my liberty but I value truth more,” he wrote.

Posturing

Former Cabinet officials twitted Defensor for acting as if he were the victim, and threw their support behind Lozada.

“We call on Mike Defensor to stop posturing as if he is the aggrieved person, even as he was clearly a participant in the cover-up of what became an aborted abduction of Jun Lozada,” the Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO) said in a statement.

The group wondered: “What moral values does he hope to impart to his young children with his vain and obstinate defense of injured pride, while participating in the cover-up of gross abuses against our people and our laws?”

The FSGO exhorted the public to express outrage over the arrest and imprisonment of Lozada.

What about Joc-joc, Neri, etc.?

It decried the arrest of Lozada over “flimsy and concocted” perjury charges.

The arrest, the group said, stood in stark contrast with the freedom enjoyed by personalities accused of more serious crimes such as former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante, former Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos, former NEDA chief Romulo Neri, former Justice Secretary Hernando B. Perez, former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, retired SEC commissioner Jesus Martinez and former PNP comptroller Eliseo de la Paz.

“The minions of the current regime find it all too easy to persecute to the fullest all those who expose its abuses, and oppose its corruption and bad governance,” the FSGO said.

Casiño said people should give credit to Lozada for sacrificing his liberty to make a point about integrity.

“He is willing to be jailed to teach people a lesson in integrity,” he said

Acting skills

But an administration lawmaker, Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez, has a different take on the matter, saying Lozada should be happy that Defensor has given him the media mileage he needs for his alleged bid for the Senate.

“If 15 months from now Lozada will be able to watch the sunset on Manila Bay from his Senate office, he will only have Mike Defensor to thank for. Mike has single-handedly launched the Senate candidacy of a man who was slowly receding into obscurity like a La Sallian monk before Mike thrust him again in front of the TV lights,” Alvarez said in a statement.

He went on to say that Lozada has the chance to show his “dramatic acting skills on prime time” free of charge.

The victim in the whole issue is Defensor, according to Alvarez. He said he understood Defensor’s desire to clear his name for the sake of his children.

Can’t clear name

United Opposition spokesperson Adel Tamano, however, said he did not think Defensor could clear his name by pursuing the charges against Lozada.

Tamano said at a forum that Defensor’s actions had been described by some as “political suicide” on his part.

The UNO spokesperson added that the events that had arisen from the perjury case had made Lozada a martyr to some and had given the latter a platform to advance his cause.

Supporters and sympathizers of Lozada held Mass at the lobby of the Manila Police District (MPD) headquarters on UN Avenue in Manila.

Chief Supt. Rodolfo Magtibay, MPD director, allowed the detained Lozada to hear Mass, officiated by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo who lamented the timing of the arrest and attributed it to a “vindictive” government.

Pacquiao-Hatton match

The bishop voiced concern that Lozada’s plight might be forgotten anew with Labor Day and Sunday’s Pacquiao-Hatton match.

Pabillo charged the government of using the justice system in political harassment, citing Lozada’s arrest on a perjury charge as well as another criminal charge filed against the whistle-blower’s wife, Violet. With a report from TJ Burgonio