Lozada posts bail

Whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada on Monday posted bail at the Sandiganbayan for two graft charges filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Lozada was accompanied by his brother Jose Orlando, police escorts, and nuns from the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines when he posted bail at past 10 a.m. at the anti-graft court’s fourth division.

A P60,000 bail was raised by the AMRSP for Lozada while the P30,000 offered by Senator Panfilo Lacson was used to post bail for Jose Orlando, according to the group’s executive secretary Fr. Marlon Lacal.

Lacal told Radyo Inquirer 990AM that they were shocked to find out that P90,000 was expected to be paid for the Lozadas’ temporary liberty.

“Ang nakita namin sa warrant P30,000 lang, dapat P60,000 lang (for the Lozada brothers). Pero dalawa daw pala yung kaso ni Jun kaya P60,000. Kaya naging P90,000,” he said.

The religious group was also with the whistleblower when he surrendered to the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at around 7 a.m. in the morning.

Lacal said they would continue to protect Lozada whom he said has been “suffering a lot…”

“Jun has not slept nor eaten well in days. His blood pressure was high earlier. We worry for his condition,” he said.

“He has given up so much for the truth. He doesn’t deserve this,” Lacal added.

An order for the whistleblower’s arrest was issued by the Sandiganbayan last week for unlawfully awarding his brother Jose Orlando with the leasehold right for a 6,599 hectare land.

Lozada was then the president and executive officer of the Philippine Forest Corporation.

He was the key witness in the allegedly anomalous National Broadband Network-ZTE deal during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

For more of the report, listen to Radyo Inquirer 990AM.

Originally posted at 10:06 am | Monday, Feb. 11, 2012