The Jun Lozada in You
April 29th, 2009 by caffeine_sparks
There are no saints, no sinners, only human beings.
As I write this, a Filipino who spoke truth to power has been arrested. His offense? That of implicating the powerful in the most heinous of crimes that can possibly be committed by those who are entrusted with the public trust – abuse of authority to commit theft in such unimaginable magnitude.
Graft and corruption, such vague words. What does this mean to the ordinary person? It can range from life and death situations, especially among the most vulnerable, to inconveniences of having to drive on pock-marked, barely-lit roads. Public funds are a lifeblood of a country. How and where they are spent show the priorities of our society. Ideally, public funds should be spent on the provision of public services and public goods. In simple terms, they should be spent to make life easier for all of us.
If Gloria Arroyo’s husband, indeed, the President herself – the embodiment of the Filipino people’s will – steal from public coffers as Jun Lozada and others like him allege, then they literally make life harder for all of us. Imagine the billions of pesos that would have been spent on the construction of new classrooms, the procurement of books, the funding of public hospitals.
Corruption is not only a public crime committed by public officials. To my mind, corruption is very private, very personal. We all pay for the privilege of being Filipino. Our taxes, automatically confiscated by the State, are a product of our own personal toil. Imagine the fruits of your hard work going to the pockets of those whom we entrust to run this country. More than a slap in the face, it is an abomination.
There are no saints, no sinners, only human beings. Jun Lozada has himself admitted to wrong-doing. A mid-level bureaucrat dabbling in mid-level theft. But there are limits to our descent into perdition, and he probably reached his when he learned he was going to be made to disappear. I remember seeing him for the first time last year, my bittersweet homecoming. I remember thinking he vaguely looked like my father. In his eyes I saw not the absence of fear. He spoke like a man with a death sentence awaiting judgment. Today mayhaps, it has come.
He said he did not want to be a hero, and a certainly not a martyr. In this country’s grand narrative, we, all of us, seem insignificant gnats in the order of things. But there are limits to the ‘inconveniences’ we can bear. There are limits to our consenting to surrender the fruits of our labor to a giant thieving machine. There are limits to the collective deadening of our social conscience. We cannot all be ostriches, willingly burying our heads in the sand in denial of the reality we’re in.
April 29, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Eqo worship
By Anton Java
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 15:46:00 03/18/2008
Excerpt:
Moron.
April 29, 2009 at 2:14 pm
HMMMM ….. SOUNDS LIKE PHILIPPINE BLOGS OF PEKENG-PERYODISTAS AND MAJORITY OF PHILIPPINE BLOGS …. If they don't agree with you EXCOMMUNICATE, BANISH, BAN …. TYPICAL FLIPPINO SWINE FLU!!!!!
April 29, 2009 at 1:12 pm
What is the basis for the arrest? Is it libel against Miguel Arroyo or littering on 20-June-2005; or rape of a 26-year-old bargirl or assault and battery against someone? Who is the complainant?
April 29, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Libel, defmation, slander … etc…..
The case didn't stick. So GMA and Mikee has the right.
Like Nicole V Smith. Smith acquitted. Nicole recanted. Now they want to sue Nicole for perjury.
April 29, 2009 at 1:36 pm
The same question I have. While Caffeine has posted about Lozada's arrest, she never said what it was for. I have no sympathy for Lozada in the first place but if his arrest was related for his "bungled" Senate hearing, then I shall be one of those who will condemn the arrest because its "chilling effect" on the freedom of speech. But if he was arrested for "concubinage" why would would I let my emotion drift in sympathy of this iconic personality Caffeine has colorffully described as a sports "masscot"?
April 29, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Please to read the post again. Its an appeal to US, not for Jun Lozada.
There's a news link to the facts of the arrest. Plenty of online news sites for facts. All we have to do is click ;-)
April 29, 2009 at 5:22 pm
a "filipino who spoke truth". who did and what "truth"? and how did you know that?
April 29, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I find it curious that Mike Defensor charged Jun Lozada with perjury, instead of for example libel.
I think libel would've been safer for Mike because even if he cannot prove libel, it would end with not proving that he was insulted or maligned by Lozada.
But with perjury, one of them will be proved a LIAR: either Jun Lozada or Mike Defensor!
How the trial is handled and decided, how it is appealed (if guilty at the RTC) in the CA and SCoRP.
Civil Society ought to welcome this prosecution and perjury case. There should be no resistance to arrest, instead demands should be made to speed up the adjudication.
Jun Lozada ought to seize this chance to prove his case in Court through demolition of the Prosecution's case with evidence and testimony and by dragging the whole ZTE NBN mess into it!
April 29, 2009 at 1:52 pm
From the photo, Jun Lozada seemed prepared. He and those who support him hopefully have a game plan.
April 29, 2009 at 7:18 pm
They have a game plan – rosary, novena, prayer rally, atbp.
I concurr with DBJ that if JLo has prima facie material evidence or an extensive paper trail to corroborate his allegations, he will be doing himself and this nation, a favor.
In short, JLo is getting a rematch. Hopefully, he is wiser the second time around.
April 29, 2009 at 1:49 pm
BenignO,
You say "ego worship" huh! Coming from you, the top ego worshipper in all of blogosphere hahaha, you really know each other.
The great paradox in life it seems is that the more idealistic you are, the easier pala you fall for temptation once it falls in your lap. Lozada is one example. He talks of having Jose Rizal as his ideal but where is that in his life? But I make no judgment. When brought to the same circumstances from Day One, we could be as weak, who knows? You put yourself in the same shoes, from the time he set foot on the airport to the time when he was on the superhiway wondering whether someone's gonna put a gun on his temple or make an offer of a million pesos in exchange for silence, aba mahirap yan. You call it judgment call. It could have gone either way, right? but something went wrong in the handling hehe but who would you blame?. In any case, he's making the best of the situation he's in. See, he's got offers to run for senator, for crying out loud! And he could win!
April 29, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Sparks,
My fault. It was Nick who described Mr. Lozada a mascot. :)
Let's be optomistic about it, DJB. Let the prosecutor and Mr. Lozada's lawyer slug it out in court and the media be more objective about the case this time. Though we cannot insulate the motive of Mr. Defensor in bringing up the case from the fact that he was a cabinet official of GMA. But like an ordinary citizen, Mike Defensor has a name to protect too.
Perjury rather than libel is a well-thought of strategy. If he said something that is not true and it was under oath, that is perjury already. In libel, if ou say something under oath which is not true, damages the reputation of a person, the person is identified, you must prove that the statement was made with malice (under the New York Times vs. Sullivan test), that it was not of public concern.
If the perjury case is about the botched ZTE-deal, it is public concern, and malice may be or may not be present.
The elements in libel are tougher to meet than that of perjury.
April 29, 2009 at 5:46 pm
ditto.
April 29, 2009 at 5:46 pm
ditto.
April 29, 2009 at 2:19 pm
THE PERSON WHO SHOULD BE SUED IS JOEY DE VENENTA FOR STARTING THE WHOLE GOSSIP THING ….
April 29, 2009 at 2:19 pm
In philippine law, would "guilt of perjury" result in jail?
April 29, 2009 at 2:34 pm
yes, but i think it is a probationable offense. if penalty is prision correctional… i think the penalty here is six months to six years and therefore he could apply for probation if convicted.. meaning he can get out of jail. but that is putting the cart before the horse already… meantime expect another "frenzy media" on this case in the magnitudeof Nicole v. Smith or the ZTE-Broadband Senate Hearing.
pinoys as benign0 said are really simple-minded. we easily get thrillled by media entertainment in the likes of Wowowoe, Eat Bulaga and Mike v. Lozada perjury case.
April 29, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Exactly. Totally agree with you JCC.
Ayun naman pala, swak na swak naman pala yung observation ni benigz. Pardon my being clueless on the personal dynamics of what's going on in FV, am not going there. So why the fuss when he or Renato states the reality out loud? Ano ba talaga, Kuya Eddie?
April 29, 2009 at 5:51 pm
i have some disagreement with benign0 on some matters but would acknowledge the fact that he is not wrong sometimes.
April 29, 2009 at 3:45 pm
We've had extensive exchange of views earlier on the 'strange case' of JunLo here at FV and over at MLQ3.
Bloggers posited about the Pinoys' short attention span, investigation (in-aid-of legislation) fatigue, the credibility of JunLo's backers, etc. The pervading sentiment was let's wait and act decisively in May 2010.
But some pundits said there will be no 2010 decision day. I call this careless clueless-ness.
April 29, 2009 at 4:27 pm
This shows the hypocrisy of the husband and wife plunderer of the country. The true cases of corruption
like Bolante, Big Mike, etc… are not arrested. While those who point out their plundering are arrested.
Know that History will judge your performance in power. We dont learn the lesson of previous people in
power.
April 29, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Tas,
1. The GMA Crime family is not convicted due to the bungling invistigations by bumbling idiots in the Senate. That's the RULE-OF-LAW not LYNCH MOB.
2. Lozada's allegation do not have a leg to stand on. They are innuendos and tsismis. No solid evidence.
3. Since innuendos, tsismis and allegation by Lozada has no legal standing, therefore, he perjured himself and libeled, defamed the Crime Family. So the Crime Family has the right to sue to correct the innuendos.
4. Fertilizer scam, MERALCO scam, Glorietta Bombing, MBC invistigations, Ces Drilon news blackout, Mayor Isfanjani pocketing part of the ransom money and other invistigations are still FOREVER invistigated until the end of time. Hey, WHAT ARE WE FILIPINOS FOR?
Don't you love Philippines? Even FlipPinos in America cannot live together in harmony in one community.
April 29, 2009 at 4:38 pm
toi ricelander: your comment — it seems is that the more idealistic you are, the easier pala you fall for temptation once it falls in your lap.
a good reminder that some people should remain suwelduhan lang and not be allowed to get to opportunities where money-temptation can fall in their laps.
July 31, 2009 at 2:49 am
it certainly says more about the one who wrote it than the one he’s trying to criticize.
the capacity to resist temptation in favor of morals does vary widely from person to person, but that doesn’t excuse anyone of us.
April 29, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Baka ikaw lang may Lozada sa loob. Pamilya ko maski lalagay nang markup sa mga goods wala.
April 29, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Nagawa na nya trabaho nya, so like a good soldier kalimutan na natin.
April 29, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Pagkalimutan natin, the pekeng-peryodista won! I cannot even know if my pagarparings are correct because my information are certified pre-owned in blogs and forums which they picked-up from irresponsible pekeng-peryodistas … You'll never know we are even debating something that never really happened after all …
April 29, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Pacquiao, yes. J-Lo, no. Nicole, no. Smith, no.
The question is "who has been mentioned in the e-mail you have received from Pinas in past 2 weeks?"
April 29, 2009 at 9:14 pm
They are afraid JLo will be a Senator next year. Which he probably could be if they are not successful in putting him in jail by then. But this could in itself be a tall order. A proper legal defense must be prepared and he needs big time help in order to delay and delay until the election . Because I think this time, the Catholic Church will come out and campaign for him to help him win.
This is the Whistleblower over which we must enact a new law…the Whistleblower Protection Act of the PHilippines!
April 29, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Am thinking about JLo's kids as he was too on tv last night, blaming himself for their plight. All Filipinos ought to reflect on that situation, in which we are all in! All five must now live as hostages of Mike Defensor.
I guess the idea is for J-Lo to be convicted by an RTC (easy enough to do I would think!) and freeze the ball right there. I am not sure what a convicted perjurer is entitled to as far as an election is concerned, and whether or not a trial conviction for perjury is enough for Comelec to disqualify him. JCC?
April 29, 2009 at 9:55 pm
hahahahaha,
normally only conviction involving moral turpitude would disqualy a would be candidate. perjury is not one of them… but i have to consult my classmate in the Comelec, Rene Sarmiento about that. been out of the country for 9 years. Comelec must have changed the rules of the game.
anyway, even if convicted, he can always appeal. meantime, whatever disqualification is there, it is suspended pending appeal and therefore JLO is free to run.
Some people, myself included, have thought that all along that these brouhaha about the ZTE project was for political milegage.
JLO is a Bicolano. The Trillanes and Honasan capers must have really rubbed good on him. Did we really stir the political water to hope for change or just to make a perfect name recall during elections? Trillanes, Honasan, JLO, same region, same style, same motivation? hahahahha !!!!!
April 29, 2009 at 9:33 pm
That the unresolved NBN-ZTE anomaly is the true issue here.
If anyone cares to:
http://midfield.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/nbn-zte-...
April 29, 2009 at 10:14 pm
JLo needs to be incancerated. Pronto! I know ordinary pipol with ordinary minds wants JLo sprung because what JLo did was acceptable to ordinary pipol with ordiinary minds who believes in tsismis as truths, believes in gremlin, manghuhula, 7 dwarves, bible stories and faith healers without incontrivertible evidences.
Filipinos are crabs by nature. Filipinos believe in anything as long as it's against their foes.
We're dooomed to perdition
July 31, 2009 at 2:57 am
Filipinos believe in anything as long as it’s against their foes.
Exactly!
April 29, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Side-topic: The Philippines is one of the less-prepared Asia-Pac country against the threatening pandemic, per BBC.co.uk website.
Philippines
Airports are equipped with thermal scanners, and additional medical staff have been hired. The government says it has enough Tamiflu for 60,000 possible cases and is buying 10m pesos ($206,000) worth of additional Tamiflu. This covers a fraction of the Philippine population of 90 million. Government says there are sufficient masks in stock.
South Korea
The agriculture ministry has suspended imports of live pigs from North America. Health authorities have a Tamiflu stockpile for 2.5 million people and are working to increase that to 10% of the population of about 49 million.
Taiwan
Taiwan currently has supplies of swine flu treatment to cover 10% of its 23m population. More than 1m facemasks for emergency use are available.
Thailand
The government has 320,000 courses of Tamiflu stockpiled. GPO, a state-owned drug-maker, can produce 1m capsules of generic Tamiflu if needed. Temperature screening checkpoints are in place at international airports in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
Malaysia
Tamiflu stockpile covering more than 2m people out of a population of 27m. It does not have a stockpile of personal protection equipment such as masks for the general population yet, but has a supply for health staff who will be dealing with any outbreak.
April 29, 2009 at 10:18 pm
We don't need evidences. All we need is tsismis and that is acceptable in court of law in the land of the Flips. Even CEO Joey de V prefers the tsismis than evidences …
April 29, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Since no one has yet asked, what if I may, is so-called "gameplan" that JL is prepared to pull?
April 30, 2009 at 1:23 am
The Ombudsman's job description is to investigate all " tsismis" including tsismis coming from whistleblowers. But who appointed the officers of the Ombudsman office? Perjury or libel is only an icing of the cake but is perfect for a confused public. It won't matter if JCC will explain the rule of law of libel or perjury in a lawyery like manner because that's not the point. Conflict of Interest between OFFICES of BIG Time PERSONNEL has been an issue No president or any other political candidates have cared enough and be determined to prevent the conflict from getting worst. How does one fix a SYSTEM Failure.
Failure to stop corruption and the failure to correct " INCONVENIENCES" of the people are problems since 19 forgotten. It's not new. The word is CONFLICT OF INTEREST. We all can be whistleblowers but if our numbers are less than to those who are in charge and in CONFLICT then good luck pinoys.
April 30, 2009 at 1:34 am
The concept of basic governance in terms of public service does not exist in this country. It is still in its infancy. It requires a role model from a new generation. I can smell "old farts" in Philippine system even here at FV.. LOL
tililing rampage is coming?
April 30, 2009 at 5:00 am
100% of FlipPinos are corrupt! EXCEPT BongV, Benign0, Ulong Pare and yours truly, I :)
April 30, 2009 at 1:44 am
[youtube 3ITJAc3qdP4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ITJAc3qdP4 youtube]
April 30, 2009 at 2:08 am
ding,
thanks for the video but it won't matter. jun can be charged and maybe guilty but the MAIN ISSUE OF CORRUPTION? will always be forgotten. I have not really missed a lot since I left in 1990 except the carabao of my lola… i was 19 and its the same old shit since then… My God Philippines.. Bless you alwaYS…
kapuy uy… it is so depressing… anything fun lately over there? how could people live a life full of shit. LOL. sorry.
April 30, 2009 at 2:30 am
leytenian,
Your disgust is not unfounded.
But as you will agree we cannot just become cynical or fatalistic even.
We must for future's sake, believe our simple strivings can make a difference. Bless you.
April 30, 2009 at 2:32 am
leytenian:
in retrospect :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFhKKya2ADE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-itGI0KlIEM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O41JQBdDvE
April 30, 2009 at 2:30 am
This is how I see it.
Mr. JLO tried to moderate the greed of Mr. Abalos for $35M and not for $75M. Had the latter agreed for $35M, the ZTE-Broadband Project would have gone off the ground and been implemented. Mr. JLO would be much willing to facilitate the $35M payoff for Mr. Abalos. He justified the payoff as acceptable "at hindi bubukol".
The $35M from the supposed $359M project would be sourced upfront from a Chinese Bank. Generations of Filipinos yet to be born will be paying for this loan. Mr. JLO and his team has to source their own payoff from the package. Was his and his team's share in the payoff been compromised because of the $75M payoff demanded by Mr. Abalos? If you can package a project and determined an acceptable payoff to make the project feasible, would you facilitate it for someone only without taking care of your own "payoff?"
(please continue reading)
April 30, 2009 at 2:30 am
These people are in league with each other to defraud the Filipino people. Hindi lang nagkasundo sa "partihan".
Ironically, the alleged "greed" of Mr. Abalos had caused the project to be abandoned. This is good for the Filipino people. But the lesser greed of Mr. JLO would make the project implementable and the people would still be paying for for the cost of the project plus the moderated greed.
Heroes and villains? Take your pick. hahahahahah!!!!
April 30, 2009 at 2:37 am
jcc,
I for one do not for a moment think JLo is a virgin. But at the point of being consumed by the dark side he pulled away and has since redeemed his soul. No one is beyond conversion, even GMA at this point.
Judas himself found absolution in the end I think.
April 30, 2009 at 2:44 am
did you guys check the website of the office of the ombudsman? here it is….http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/
Poor Masbate treasurer charge and guilty of graft. I guess this office is useful for small fish but it may not be able to function properly if the big fish who appoints them maybe the "PROXIMATE CAUSE" of all this brouhaha?
no mere prayers from the pope and people's power will be sufficient to change the country. we need to blog about conflict of interest … too bad… ignorance of the law is not an excuse… poor pinoys…
namatay na lang ang carabao nang lola ko… haaayyyyyy… LOL.
April 30, 2009 at 3:21 am
Caffeine:
Shouldn't one ought to be careful in pulling a tinier rope from a bigger one?
Your reference only defines JL as a whistleblower but then for you, you deem him as the one who spoke the truth to power.
Offhand, these are two conflicting points of view.
April 30, 2009 at 4:15 am
One more thing, Jun can be considered as a whistleblower. One of the job description of the Office of the Ombudsman is to protect the people ( click on ombudsman link, skip the intro and click on ABOUT- function and duties and all that BS on the website). If we have to expand the definition of "protect the people", how can the office of the ombudsman protect Jun if this office officers can be in CONFLICT? with the appointee. 'es or other principals? And now Jun is charged with perjury or libel? what is then the purpose of the office of the ombudsman if it continues to ignore the VERY FACT and forget its legal duty to protect the people ? is Jun a carabao? NO.. he is a human being– people that requires protection. so what kind of brouhaha do we have in this country again?
Crimes in high places can be too complicated for Mang Juan…. It's also too complicated for Pedro and the many pinoys who work at the call center and pay taxes to the corrupt government. The Office must be questioned on how graft and corruption programs are implemented including protection of the whistleblowers. I can't find a link on its site specific on implementation except PROMISES.
April 30, 2009 at 5:30 am
Including teachers, soldiers, and GOCC workers, the Philippine Govt has over a million employees and is the largest employer by far. Each govt employee is duty-bound to protect the people's interests and is therefore a potential whistleblower.
We need to work for the passage of Whistle Blower Protection Laws.
April 30, 2009 at 10:24 am
In 2003, the Philippines passed public procurement law. This law, along with implementing rules and regulations,standardizes public procurement conducted at all government levels both public owned or public controlled companies.
And in 2007, WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT OF 2007- Bil 1972 and In 2004 13th Congress, Defensor also filed Whistle Blower 1685 in 2004. Until now… it is still pending.
Why is Congress so slow? Conflicting Interest between public and private could potentially exist or may already exist among members of Congress. Majority including members of the lower house may own private companies in conflict with their public duties.