By Mechelle Stephanie P. Eguia and Trizia Glae R. Tubungbanua (DMC Eximius Editorial Staff)
“DMC students Trizia Glae Tubungbanua and Mechelle Stephanie Eguia interview ZTE Scandal whistleblower Jun Lozada.”
ZTE/NBN Deal star witness Rodolfo Noel Imperial Lozada, Jr., popularly known as Jun Lozada dropped by DMC College Foundation last March 19 for his crusade for a “free and honest election this year.”
Jun Lozada is in Dipolog en route to his speaking engagement in the La Salle University in Ozamiz on March 30. He surprised “Boto Mo iPatrol Mo” AKO ANG SIMULA participants in DMC as he came by for a short talk with regard his campaign of having a clean and positive election this coming May 2010. From Ozamis City, he traveled across northern Mindanao to visit Rizal Shrine in Dapitan City and decided to drop by at DMC College Foundation knowing about the aforementioned event. He then immediately went on a trip back Ozamiz after his visit in DMC.
Lozada, a Filipino-Chinese who is a former president of the Philippine Forest Corporation, became a public figure when he became the whistle blower of the ZTE/NBN controversy that raised arguments against the current administration and called for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which did not flourish for the opposition’s side.
“It’s very simple. Gloria, FG (First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo) and Abalos (former Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr) wanted to have a big commission out of it. From a $130 million project and added $200 million, so, it cannot be. We told the Senate about it that’s why it was stopped. It was like they were stealing and they were caught and so they said ‘wag na lang’,” says Lozada after being asked about the Philippine National Broadband Network controversy and why it did not prosper.
And when asked to describe his relationship with the late former President Corazon Aquino. “Tita Cory serves as an inspiration; that in spite of the difficulties that I will be facing, I will make it through. And then their family suffered for like seven years, with Ninoy’s imprisonment and all, so it serves as an inspiration for me. Sinasabi niya sa akin na ‘Wag kang panghihinaan ng kalooban’, never loose hope that no matter what, the good will eventually win over the bad,” Lozada said.
“Jun Lozada writes on the DMC Freedom Wall.”
He added that “The current political inclination that I have is to be sure that we will have an honest election. I did not agree when people asked me to run for the Senate, I did not; so that the people especially in your generation will not doubt that I did it, (witnessing for ZTE/NBN deal controversy) for self interest.” Lozada’s answer made it clear that what he did was not for any self-serving reason, nor was it for politics.
For his last message to young students he stated “For you guys, do not be mistaken. The power of our government has two faces: one is the accountability of those running government and the other face is the participation of the people. Without this second face, it has no value. So this is the kind of government that we have, so participate!”