Lozada’s testimony: a defining moment?

Jun Lozada’s press conference and testimony before the Senate last week offered such a rich picture of the workings of the Arroyo administration that it is hard to know where to begin.

1. The abduction of the terrified Lozada at the airport by government officials, including the plain-clothed police and the deputy chief of the airport, is the kind of event one associates with the most brazen military South American dictatorship.

2. In fact, as has been demonstrated time and time again, all that stops the Philippines from becoming a banana republic is the presence of a powerful media. Without the glare of the TV spotlights and the probing newsmen Jun Lozada would now be playing with the fishes at the bottom of Manila Bay.

3. Such events have a habit of adding at least one choice phrase to the pungent Philippine political vocabulary. This shabby affair has given us Neri’s instructions to Lozada: “moderate their greed”, a phrase that has been seized on by both Winnie Monsod and Randy David as indicating both the rapacious greed of the members of the current administration (the “greed” that Lozada was asked to moderate amounted to $130 million for only one participant, Abalos—50% of the entire project cost!) and the extent to which such corrupt practices have been accepted as normal in the current polluted environment (i.e., it was only the huge amount of this “commission” that seemed to bother Neri, not its existence).

4. Another nice moment came when Lozada explained that: “I guess the trouble started when Chairman Abalos wanted to protect his $130 million … How shall I put this? … Commission on the project”. Ah yes, the pause is all!

5. One of my favorite features of Philippine scandals is the light they shed on the protagonists’ relationships with each other. Take the nicknames: most famously of course there was “Garci”, but this time around we discovered that Atienza refers to Executive Secretary Ermita as “ES” and the president simply as “ma’am” in the manner of a domestic servant.

6. There are lies, damned lies, and there is Lito Atienza. In selecting the DENR chief to voice the government’s implausible version of the events, the president chose well, for no one is more versed in the bluster of falsehood than the former mayor of Manila. It is a toss up as to which is more unbelievable, Atienza’s story on why Lozada left the country on the eve of his appearance before the Senate (“He asked permission to attend the global bio fuels conference and exhibition in London and later on to meet with stakeholders”) or his explanation of why Lozada was kidnapped by police in civilian uniforms on his return (“there was no kidnapping, no abduction … there’s distortion of the news”). Let’s hope the colourfully shirted one testifies before the Senate next week and clears up these misunderstandings.

Despite all of this, I can’t see all this going anywhere. The Senate can expose the administration’s failings as much as it likes but an impeachment motion has to begin in the House and last Monday’s ousting of the Speaker by the pro-Malacañang block indicates that the president’s control over that body is stronger than ever. Lozada’s explosive testimony reminds me of Perfecto Yasay’s during the BW scandal all those years ago: explosive, but too far from the real center of power to prove fatal. Only when Gloria meets her Chavit—when someone in the inner circle finally turns the screw—will we see a “For rent” sign outside the palace. Will Joe de V be that man?

Comments

[The Equalizer]

"Grabe ang Presyo ang Magmahal sa Bayan!"

The following poem is composed entirely of actual quotes from Jun Lozada,the brave ONE:

"Sometimes it’s worth taking a risk for this country!"

Grabe na presyo ang magmahal sa bayan.
Ito ang kinakatatakutan ko eh.
The price is simply too much.
Who would like a life like this?

Yung mga nanloloko sa bayan uuwi sa magagarang bahay nila.
Nandun sa lahat ng mga comfort,
lahat ng kaginhawahan ng yaman nila.
Pero yung mga katulad ko, natutulog ka sa sofa.

I did it jut because I came to a point
that I can’t take it anymore.
they had been trying to let me sign documents denying about the abduction,
denying that I know anything about ZTE.

I know I brought trouble to myself.
I didn’t want to put my family in harm's way.
But just like I told in my press conference,
Sometimes it’s worth taking a risk for this country

[Panaderos]

I seriously doubt that we'll find closure here. As you said, the House is now controlled by a GMA lapdog. I'm hoping that if an impeachment case can't progress in Congress that this case be worked through the courts. However, uncovering the truth and punishing the guilty will still be an uphill battle there. Sigh.

[failed misanthrope]

It won't be a watershed moment, that's for damn sure. Marcos, we must remember, lasted for twenty years. The people simply suffered and suffered it.

[wala]

These corrupt politicians should be caught on tape first. There should be a paper trail to bank deposits.

Otherwise, all these testimonies are just hearsay.