PIMENTEL BACKS LOZADA'S STAND IN THE FACE
OF 16 CHARGES AGAINST HIM

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said the refusal of investigation witness Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada to post bail after a Manila Regional Trial Court ordered his arrest was intended to prove that he is being subjected to harassment by the Arroyo administration which has redied a total of 16 charges against him in reprisal for his role in exposing the fraudulent $329 million national broadband network-ZTE project.

Pimentel said Lozada told him during a visit to his detention cell at the Manila Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters Tuesday that he might have agreed to post bail if the perjury case against him filed by former Secretary Michael Defensor was the only one he was facing.

But there are underlying factors that make the cases against Lozada "more political than judicial," the senator said.

"Jun Lozada told me that if he were facing only one case probably it would be more in consonance with reason for him to bail himself out. But there are l6 charges in all being dangled over his head."

Pimentel added that what Lozada is saying is this: "If I have taken this move, it would validate what they are doing. I think they are harassing me, a whistle-blower, and preventing me from proceeding with my expose."

He said Lozada's concern is if he post bail for the perjury case, he would have to do the same if the l5 other charges against him are given due course by the courts and an arrest order is issued against him one after the other.

"He would be repeatedly thrown into prison, so what will happen to him? I see how reasonable his stand is," Pimentel remarked.

He said he advised Lozada to strengthen his resolve and not to cave in to pressures in the face of the ordeals that he and his family are going through.

Pimentel expressed support for the resolution, filed by eight majority senators led by Mar Roxas and approved by the Senate Monday night, asking the court to release Lozada and to allow the Senate to take him under its custody through recognizance.

Initially, he said he had some reservation over such course of action, believing that since the case is already in court, the best thing for Lozada is to post bail or for his friends and supporters to post bail on his behalf if he does not want to do it himself.

"We are not trying to put Mr. Lozada above the ordinary person. There are two ways by which an accused person can get out of this predicament while his case is pending. One is by bailing himself out and the other is by placing him under the recognizance of persons who are trustworthy and who will do the job of presenting him to the court when the need arises," Pimentel said.