Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Fiscal probing NBN deal to handle Lozada kidnapping raps
THE kidnapping and attempted murder complaint filed by National Broadband Network (NBN)-ZTE star-witness Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr. will likely face rough sailing at the Department of Justice (DOJ) after the case was assigned to a prosecutor who is also a member of the fact-finding panel investigating the controversial broadband contract.
Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño confirmed that the case has been assigned to Senior State Prosecutor Emilie Fe delos Santos, who is also a concurrent chairperson of the DOJ's Task Force on Kidnapping.
Zuño assured that there will be no conflict in the DOJ's investigation of Lozada's criminal complaints and will immediately set the case for preliminary hearing this week.
However, he said some details alleged in the complaints may still have to be verified before they could be used in the inquiry being conducted by the fact-finding panel.
Lozada's lawyer Edwin Lacierda reserved giving his comments in the meantime, but said these developments might bode ill for his client, considering that he has bucked the request of the DOJ panel to attend its inquiry last week on the ground that the proceeding was but "political" in nature.
"We have to ascribe good faith on this, but it's going to be an uphill battle for us. We will file the appropriate objects when we see the need," he said.
Lacierda noted that even Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. has already prejudged the case when he was quoted by reporters as saying Lozada's revelations during the Senate inquiry into the NBN deal was a mere "moro-moro," or farce.
Last Friday, after snubbing the panel inquiry session, Lozada appeared at the DOJ to file the criminal complaints against Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, National Police Chief Avelino Razon Sr., Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) assistant general manager Angel Atutubo, Aviation Security Group officer Rogelio or "Roger" Valeroso, Police Security and Protection Office Chief Paul Mascariñas, and certain "Jaime".
Mascariñas's men escorted Lozada at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) where the alleged kidnapping took place while Jaime was the designated driver of the vehicle that forcibly took the NBN witness away to as far as Laguna.
The filing of the criminal complaints was in connection with Lozada's alleged abduction and threats to his life starting on February 5 upon his arrival at Naia from a trip to Hong Kong. (ECV/Sunnex)
