With most Filipinos likely fed up on what’s going on in the affairs of government, thousands of concerned students from Metro Manila’s Catholic universities have expressed their full support to the embattled Jun Lozada, key witness in the multi-million NBN-ZTE scandal who was allegedly kidnapped by plainclothes police personnel as he disembarked from Cathay Pacific plane at the Manila International Airport on Feb. 5.
Among those who joined the mass protests were students from the University of Santo Tomas, his alma mater; University of the Philippines, La Salle University, and the Ateneo de Manila University. In Manila, many students have went out of the UST premises and positioned themselves along Espana Boulevard, bringing with them placards that encouraged passing motorists to honk their horns as an expression of support for Lozada’s crusade against corrupt government officials.
While those at the Ateneo de Manila in Quezon City have lined up along Katipunan Road, with lighted candles on their hands, as Lozada’s motorcade passed through on its way to the University of the Philippines in Diliman Campus. Lozada was invited for speaking engagement in U.P.
Based on this scenario, it is likely that tens of thousands of students from some universities will take part in more mass protests to drum up support from people that would eventually force President Arroyo to step down from her post for a change. Catholic priests and bishops have expressed their intention to spearhead the rallies, even as the Jesus Is Lord Movement (JIL) has not come up yet with its decision to encourage millions of its members to go out into the streets in support of Lozada’s crusade for good government.
As the political unrest heated up, Jun Lozada has filed a kidnapping case at the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza, Police Chief Avelino Razon and other police and government personalities related to his disappearance last Feb. 5. Lozada said that had it not been for the media, he should have been dead by now.
But police sources said that they are ready to face whatever criminal cases filed against their top officers.
Meanwhile, a film production outfit has offered Lozada a role that would make a movie about his life. It could be a combination of comedy and drama, considering that Lozada was known for his being a crying whistle-blower when he started revealing more details on the multi-million ZTE scandal that involved former Commission on Elections Benjamin Abalos and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.
However, Lozada has not made up his mind yet as to whether he would accept the movie offer or not. At this writing, Lozada is busy moving around attending to a lot of engagements.
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