ARREST OF LOZADA: ABUSE OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM TO SUPPRESS THE TRUTH
PRESS RELEASE
April 30, 2009
ARREST OF LOZADA: ABUSE OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM TO SUPPRESS THE TRUTH
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers condemn the recent arrest and detention of Jun Lozada as nothing more than an attempt to finally bury the truth in the NBN ZTE anomaly. As members of the legal profession we are extremely concerned with Pres. Gloria Arroyo’s unjust use of the legal system to harass legitimate dissent and promote impunity. Worse, the same justice system is used to exempt presidential allies from investigation and prosecution.
Even if a cabinet member testified under oath in an official Senate hearing that former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos bribed him with 200 Million pesos in the deal, Abalos was never prosecuted by the Ombudsman or the Justice Department. While Abalos remains free today, Jun Lozada is under arrest. The Melo Commission, the very Commission created by Pres. Arroyo to investigate extra judicial killings, found Gen. Jovito Palparan accountable for the killings but he was never even investigated for human rights violations. The UNCHR has found criminally liable for the murder of Eden Marcellana and Eddie Gumanoy and this criminalized government ha allowed the criminal to become a congressman. Gen. Palparan is now in Congress, Jun Lozada languishes in jail.
The recent attack against Jun Lozada is part of a government attempt to silence its critics and cover up its criminal acts. Members of various peoples organizations like Karapatan, the late Crispin Beltran and the Batasan Five, even human rights lawyers like Atty. Ming Saladero have been victims of harassment cases filed by the Arroyo government.
The recent arrest of Jun Lozada will not be the last since this is but a mere part of Pres. Arroyo’s policy to violate constitutional rights to maintain herself in power. We ask members of the legal profession and the people to condemn the arrest of Lozada and express visible support to him. We must demand that Pres. Arroyo cease from using the legal processes to suppress dissent and cover up crimes.
Filed under: Politics and Government and tagged Arroyo, Lozada
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