Lozano laments car theft issue eclipsed by AFP corruption mess

Former Marcos lawyer Oliver Lozano on Wednesday criticized the government for supposedly being sidetracked by the corruption scandal hounding the Armed Forces of the Philippines and its former heads. Lozano, whose son Emerson was allegedly killed by a carjack syndicate, said solving car thefts should be prioritized over investigating the supposed corrupt practices in the AFP, such as giving "pabaon" (send-off money) to outgoing military chiefs of staff. "Carnapping with murders [has] a national security dimension. This shoud be the top priority, but it was buried under 'pabaon,'" Lozano told reporters at the Department of Justice in Manila. The Senate blue ribbon committee and the House of Representatives justice committee are looking into the alleged misuse of military funds and the controversial plea bargain agreement that accused plunderer Carlos F. Garcia struck with the Office of the Ombudsman. The scandal involving alleged send-off money had linked former military chief Angelo Reyes, who took his own life last week in front of his mother's grave at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City. Terminate the inquiries But Lozano said the two chambers of Congress should have terminated their inquiries already because they have already collected enough evidence. "As of this time, there are more than enough data for new legislation," said Lozano. He then asked Congress to revise the Anti-Carnapping Law, where violators will be meted out with heavier sentences and penalties. He then said that the law should also cover car theft syndicates' supposed links to Land Transportation Office officials and policemen from the Philippine National Police's Highway Patrol Group. Lozano's son, Emerson, was killed last January supposedly by the Dominguez car theft syndicate. The Lozano family has filed a murder complaint against the group's leaders, brothers Roger and Raymond Dominguez, who have denied being involved in car theft with murder cases. — Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMA News