Because we do not persist for truth

This week or next, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will release its findings and recommendations on the highly anomalous ZTE-NBN deal. We shall all compare that with the Ombudsman’s decision to prosecute only Romulo Neri and Benjamin Abalos, and leave the masterminds scot-free.

Jun Lozada, the reluctant witness forced by circumstances to reveal what he knew about the deal that was negotiated in the golf links of Wack-Wack and Shenzhen and forged in Hainan in the wee hours of the morning, like “a thief in the night”, does not believe Gordon’s tale will be the truth, nor will it seek the whole truth and nothing but…

Put on the hot seat along with Joey de Venecia the original whistleblower of the sordid deal last week, by the senator from Olongapo, Pampanga, Marikina and the distant US of A in the final hearing called to “summarize” and erase whatever cobwebs of doubt there were in Gordon’s mind, Jun Lozada has come to the conclusion that the Blue Ribbon report will not be in aid of ferreting out that truth.

And so, Lozada has come out with ten questions for the public to think about, and hopefully insist on the truth, and nothing but…

First, “If not because of GMA and FG, why would the Office of the Executive Secretary order DENR Secretary Lito Atienza to make me leave (in the last days of January, 2008)?”

Second, “If not because of GMA and FG, why would the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and (NAIA Assistant GM) Angel Atutubo abduct me at the airport?”

Third, “If not because of GMA and FG, why would DENR Secretary Atienza phone me and tell me therein that he would first speak to Ma’am and ES (clearly GMA is Ma’am and ES is Ermita)?”

Fourth, “If not because of GMA and FG, why would Bureau of Immigration records state to this day that I have NOT yet returned to the Philippines?” (Because Lozada was quickly spirited out of the airport into the waiting vehicles of the PSG, his passport was never stamped with an entry stamp; it never passed the BID counter).

Fifth, “if not because of GMA and FG, why would former PNP Chief Avelino Razon (who hopes to be the next mayor of poor Manila, btw), say that he did not know where I was, when (in truth and in fact), the police already had me in their custody (inside the DLSU Greenhills compound) for two days?”

Sixth, “if not because of GMA and FG, why would Mike Defensor come to tell me that “I was already hurting Ma’am” (Dona Gloria, who else)?

Seventh, “if not because of GMA and FG, why would (then Deputy Executive Secretary) Manny Gaite send me half a million pesos?” (Manny Gaite is now an Associate Commissioner of the powerful Securities and Exchange Commission, and has been promised a seat as associate justice of the highest tribunal before his Dona exits, if she ever will).

Eighth, “if not because of GMA and FG, why would I be asked to fax my letter to the office of (Presidential Assistant for Special Concerns) Medy Poblador?” (As every cabinet member except ES Ermita will privately admit, Poblador, the relative of Cardinal Rosales of Manila, is now THE most powerful factotum in the stinking palace beside the stinking river).

Ninth, “if not because of GMA and FG, why would it be necessary to give (Former NEDA Director General and now SSS President) Romulo Neri executive privilege that was upheld even by the Supreme Court?” (To ensure he keeps his silence in future Senate hearings of any kind, Neri retains cabinet rank, even if the SSS is a privately-funded government fiduciary.)

And tenth, “if not because of GMA and FG, why have numerous cases been filed against me, while the one case I filed against them over a year ago is still under preliminary investigation?”

We should all continue to demand for answers to Mr. Lozada’s questions. As
we should persist in finding out the truth about several other issues that have yet to see closure.

Hello Garci. The case of the overpriced and fake bottled fertilizers peddled to missing beneficiaries by one Joc-Joc Bolante, soon to be “governor” of the Roxas principality called Capiz, unless sense gets the better of Mar’s comprovincianos.

Of more recent vintage, who really paid for the haute cuisine dinner at Le Cirque, and the pig-out steak dinner at Bobby Van’s, or Wolfgang’s, or David Bouly? And where did Mikey and his Angela really get the money to buy a Beach Drive mansion in the US of A? And Dato his condominium unit at pricey Gramercy upon Nob Hill in San Francisco by the bay?

Oh, and who really ordered the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, despite full security component at the international airport? Cory had died forty days ago, and now his son Noynoy seeks to be president of the benighted land, and yet, to this very day, we do not know who masterminded the dastardly deed.

And how many billions, really, did Marcos purloin, and can we ever, ever, get that back for the suffering millions of our poor people? How many billions have succeeding presidents made during their term of office? The previous president for instance, has been convicted of plunder by the Sandiganbayan, and then instantly pardoned by the successor who usurped his office. Did we ever find the truth? Do we even care to seek the truth?

Truth, our faith and everyone else tells us, “shall set us free”.

We are not free of the bondage of poverty and hopelessness. We are not free of the hobgoblins of our past. We are not free from injustice because justice is paid for, or afraid to know and confront the truth. We are not free from the shackles of feudalism; we have just foolishly labelled it democracy.

We are not free because we do not care about the truth.