MANILA, Philippines ? (UPDATE) Supporters and sympathizers of whistleblower Rodolfo Lozada Jr., who remains in police custody, held a mass Thursday morning at the lobby of the Manila Police District (MPD) headquarters.

The MPD director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay allowed Lozada to hear the mass, officiated by Manila Auxiliary bishop Broderick Pabillo, who lamented the timing of the arrest and attributed it to a "vindictive" government.

The bishop voiced concern that Lozada's plight might be forgotten anew with Labor Day and Sunday's Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton match anticipated to hog the headlines.

Pabillo, who heads the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) national secretariat on social action, justice and peace, emphasized in his homily that there could never be peace without justice.

He charged the government of using the justice system for political harassment, citing Lozada's arrest on a perjury charge as well as another criminal charge filed against the whistle-blower's wife, Violet, before the Manila regional trial court branch 5.

Pabillo asked that the Senate come out with its resolution on corruption allegations that hounded the botched $329-million contract between the government and China?s ZTE Corp. for the National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

Lozada had testified before Senate that the ZTE-NBN contract was overpriced.

In an interview after the mass, Pabillo said that the timing of the arrest as well as the issuance of the commitment order by the Manila judge was suspect. He explained that there would expectedly be no courts on Friday, Labor Day and with the Pacquiao-Hatton match on Sunday.

"Matatabunan na naman ni Pacquiao ang issue [Pacquiao could drown out the issue]," the bishop lamented, adding that the match could become a smokescreen to make people forget the injustices happening in the country.

He asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's former chief of staff Mike Defensor to afford Lozada a speedy trial at least.

Pabillo doubted if Defensor really intended to dismiss the perjury charge he had filed against Lozada, saying, "How can he ask for the dismissal of the case when he has gone to the US after he made the pronouncement?"

In awaiting the commitment order for Lozada's transfer to the Manila City Jail, the bishop stressed that they would prefer that Lozada's transfer to the detention facility be deferred until after authorities were certain that he could endure conditions inside the jail.

"It should depend on his health. He is anemic. We do not know if he can stand the living conditions or the heat [inside the Manila City Jail]," Pabillo explained.

The Manila auxiliary bishop pointed out that it would be better if Lozada was placed under the cognizance of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim or under house arrest.

"Why can't the court grant him at least a house arrest? Joc-Joc Bolante was allowed house arrest?" he remarked.

Pabillo was referring to former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante, the alleged mastermind of the P700-million fertilizer fund scam, who was allowed to stay at the hospital despite a Senate arrest order.

The bishop further said the arrest was obviously intended to harass and persecute Lozada. "This is not meant to shut him up. He has already gone silent. This is more on revenge," he said.

Meanwhile, Lozada peered out of a picture frame-size window of his cramped cell at the MPD warrant section to breathe air.

Asked about his condition at the detention cell, Lozada said in Filipino, "It's not okay. My situation is difficult here."

He revealed that the cell had no bed and he slept on a mat he had laid out for himself.

However, an MPD source said that the whistleblower was not being kept at the detention cell of the warrant section.

?He peeked out of the window of the comfort room,? the source told the Inquirer, who said that Lozada was ?comfortably? being made to stay inside the office of the warrant section deputy chief.

?It has no air-conditioning unit but the room is bigger and he has a small bed to sleep on,? the source revealed, smirking when he was informed of Lozada?s allegations that he was suffering in detention.

The source added that since his arrest, Lozada had not stepped anywhere near the detention cell of the warrant section except on his way to the comfort room.