Lozada calls for stronger protection of whistle-blowers

ZTE-NBN whistle-blower Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr. called for strengthened security for whistle-blowers Wednesday as he expressed alarm over the recent murder of a Senate witness who testified against First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo five years ago. Lozada, who testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee in 2008 that the now-botched national broadband network deal with ZTE Corp. was rigged with corruption, made the call four days after Wilfredo "Boy" Mayor was shot dead by unknown assailants in Manila. Mayor testified during Senate hearings in 2005 that the First Gentleman and several government officials received money from operations of jueteng, a popular but illegal numbers game. The First Gentleman has denied the allegation. [See: Juetend scam whistle-blower Wilfredo Mayor shot dead] Lozada urged the next Congress to pass proposals to strengthen protection for whistle-blowers. [See: Jun Lozada one year after] "Hinihingi namin sa Senado, for example katulad ko, na mailatag na sana kung ano ba talaga ang patukaran sa mga taong katulad namin (We are asking the Senate to lay down the rules [on what should be provided to people] like me)," Lozada told reporters in a chance interview at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City in Leyte. Lozada was in Tacloban to give a talk on poll automation. "Parang napaglalaruan na buhay namin, na kukunin sa 'yo yung alam mong totoo, pipigain ka ng lahat ng alam mo. Pag napiga na, ano na mangyayari sa 'min (It's like our lives are being toyed with. We're pressed to reveal what we know is true, but what happens after the information is squeezed out of us)?" he said. Lozada said there are times when security for him are somewhat relaxed, if the Senate does not have adequate security forces to accompany him. Sandra Cam, another witness in the 2005 jueteng investigation of the Senate, earlier said she asked for police protection soon after Mayor's assassination. [See: Jueteng whistle-blower Sandra Cam seeks police protection] The Southern Police District has formed a task force to investigate Mayor's ambush. [See: New task force to look into ambush of jueteng whistle-blower] - Johanna Camille Sisante/RSJ, GMANews.TV