Health Workers Visit Lozada in Hospital

Members of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) visited whistle-blower Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada last May 7 at the Medical Center Manila. Previously detained at the Manila City Jail, Lozada was transferred to the hospital after suffering from dehydration and difficulty in breathing.

Lozada was arrested in connection with the July 4, 2008 perjury case filed against him by former Presidential Chief of Staff Mike Defensor. The case stemmed from the celebrated NBN-ZTE scandal that rocked the government last year in which Lozada accused several goverment officials, including Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, of complicity in the purported anomalous deal.

In a Senate investigation, Lozada testified under oath that Defensor paid him P50,000 to retract his statement that airport and police personnel had abducted him upon his arrival from Hong Kong on Feb. 5, 2008. Defensor has denied the allegation.

The health workers visited Lozada after he was arraigned earlier in the day. He pleaded not guilty.

The AHW members went on a motorcade from the Lung Center of the Philippines to the Medical Center Manila. The activity was part of their celebration of Health Workers' Day, as well as AHW's 25th anniversary.

It will be recalled that the NBN-ZTE project was a $329-million contract that aimed to connect government agencies throughout the Philippines through the Internet. Lozada revealed in Senate investigations that the government deal with the Chinese company was overpriced by $130 million, and that it was "standard practice for government contracts" to be overpriced by 20 percent.

He also disclosed that presidential spouse Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo was involved in backchannel negotiations on the NBN deal. He confirmed the involvement of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos in the contract, as well as his attempt to bribe Romulo Neri - who was then the director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Lozada gave brief remarks during the visit of the AHW. The health workers cheered him, chanting "Ilabas ang katotohanan, pakawalan si Lozada!" (Let the truth come out, free Lozada!)