Statement of Solidarity and Support to Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr.

The PAGBABAGO! People’s Movement for Change expresses its solidarity and support to Engineer Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. who continues to face persecution for exposing massive corruption under the Gloria Arroyo administration.

We believe that the warrant issued today by the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 11 to arrest Lozada for perjury is a grave insult to all Filipinos desiring for an accountable and honest government. It also sends a chilling message to all those who plan to blow the whistle on corruption that the powers-that-be will exhaust all means to persecute them.

It is a brazen derision of justice that Lozada will be sent to jail by a complaint of Michael Defensor, the ex-presidential aide who played a key role in the government plot to cover-up the mess in the anomalous US$329-million broadband deal. It was Defensor who bribed Lozada in an attempt to prevent him from testifying in the then ongoing Senate inquiry on the botched broadband project with China’s ZTE Corp.

While the normal life of Lozada and his family has been taken away, high-ranking Arroyo officials who conspired to stop him from exposing corruption have yet to be prosecuted. Worse, they continue to use government to corner luscious deals. Defensor, for instance, now sits as Director and Chairman of two companies which bagged US$150 million worth of contracts with Chinese mining firms.

The endless harassment of Lozada while those involved in the broadband scam remain scot-free and continue to enrich themselves under the corrupt and loathed Arroyo administration must be condemned. We encourage all Filipinos who still believe in the virtue of accountability and honesty in governance to join us in our expression of solidarity and support to Lozada.

We commend Lozada for his unyielding advocacy to stamp out corruption in government. As a member of the Organizing Committee of the PAGBABAGO!, he has committed to continue working for genuine reforms in government and society. We assure him that for as long as he is on this righteous track, he will never be alone.

Justice for Jun Lozada!

Make all public officials involved in the NBN scam accountable!

Stop corruption in government!

Organizing Committee, PAGBABAGO! People’s Movement for Change