Date of publication: 07-04-2013
They are now disillusioned Philippine President Benigno Aquino and wondered about his "daang matuwid (literally, straight road)".
Members of religious and social groups that rallied against former president Gloria Arroyo said this was how they now felt to Aquino.
One of the reasons they cited was the apparent lack of support for President Rodolfo Lozada Jr., the hunchback against Arroyo in the abnormal million US $ 329-NBN-ZTE broadband deal.
Around 60 of them gathered at the chapel of La Salle Green Hills in Mandaluyong City to listen to de Lozada expose on how the Aquino administration presumably had allowed a "midnight proclamation" created by Arroyo shortly before her term ended in 2010 that allegedly the real estate business by Jose ' Jerry ' Acuzar, a brother-in-law of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa benefited.
"The people here are disappointed with P-Noy," one of the attendees told the Inquirer, ask not to be identified.
SR. Mary John Mananzan, co-Chairman of the Association of major religious superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP), immediately said that she was "disillusioned" Aquino after he dismissive Lozada at a meeting in Malacanang on 18 February.
According to the meeting was an idea of Mananzan some people close to the President who was concerned that there seemed to be a threat to the Sandiganbayan ordered his arrest security again after the Lozada because of a prosthesis case filed against him as President of the Philippine Forest Corp. (PhilForest) in 2007.
Eight people were at the meeting: President, Lozada, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, Ochoa, Mananzan, social welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman SR. Cho Borromeo of AMRSP and Br. Felipe Belleza FSC, President of La Salle Green Hills.
"What we wanted was that an even playing field," said Lozada, that is the reason they met with the President.
Lozada et. al Santos as current PhilForest told Aquino that Erwin with the President not the anti-Arroyo hunchback would give a fair chance in court.
But Aquino reportedly told Lozada to get the documents that he needed to get his innocence in Court of Santos, or his lawyers to ask the Court to subpoena the documents of the order PhilForest.
Lozada aversion
Mananzan said it was at the meeting of the Malacanang that they all learned why Aquino didn't seem like Lozada.
"I couldn't believe that the reason that he (Mr Aquino) mad at Jun was was because five years ago, when Jun wanted to return to the Philippines from Hong Kong, there were so many politicians who wanted his patron. One of them was P-Noy. But Jun told that negotiations that he does not want to be associated with anyone, which is why he ended up with the religious, "she said.
Lozada had fled to Hong Kong to evade a Senate hearing about the NBN-ZTE deal but later chose to return to Manila expose the anomaly.
During the press conference was a video clip of Santos on NBN Channel 4.
Santos was the only employee to go on record to defend PhilForest Arroyo and discredit Lozada, who had then just revealed that the NBN-ZTE deal was an abnormal transaction.
Santos then filed a complaint against Lozada, then PhilForest president, who is now in treatment is in court.
Lozada, Mananzan and Borromeo wondered how Aquino seemed to take Santos side and retained him as President of the PhilForest.
Lozada said that Santos was close to the then Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, who by Acuzar is considered his mentor.
"Our question to this Government is why they truth tellers in this way specific Jun Lozada treat? Why not spread to all possible assistance that the Government can give to a truth-teller? This Government Is just pretending to be anti-corruption but, on the other hand, the corrupt men and women is indulgence? " Fr. Marlon Lacal, Executive Director of AMRSP, told the press conference.
Non-active country agreements
Lozada showed the contract 2009 between PhilForest Acuzar de San Jose and builders, which the company 2,000 acres of land in Busuanga, Palawan, Busuanga economic productivity from the country under the Idle agreements awarded.
In May 2010, then signed President Arroyo Presidential Proclamation No. 2057 that PhilForest for the management of the development of non-active country for business and economic activities that fall under the reservation Busuanga Pasture allowed.
The INQUIRER learned that all contracts of the awardees, including that of San Jose builders, were cancelled in December 2011 after they failed to show by project development plans despite several announcements of PhilForest.
But Lozada said some contracts were reviewed, including that of San Jose builders.
"That's the reason that they need to Proclamation No. 2057 (PhilForest) to the administrative control of the area," said Lozada.
Midnight proclamation
But Lozada said he did not said the award of the contract to San Jose builders was abnormal.
"What is questionable is the midnight proclamation that had asked the people of Palawan recalled, but was ignored," said Lozada.
He showed a copy of the letter of Palawan gov. Abraham Mitra Aquino in October 2011, which prompted Proclamation No. 2057 be remembered, that it was against the earlier proclamation which declared the area a "Meadow reserve".
Mitra said In his letter that proclamation No. 2057 was explained without consultation with the people who live in the affected communities, as well as the units of the local government.
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