(Eagle News) — NBN-ZTE deal whistleblower Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada Jr., attended the EDSA rally of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, expressing support for what the INC members are fighting for.
Lozada, who came on Friday night, said he also had grievances with the administration of justice in the country, including the actions of the Department of Justice.
Lozada said the DOJ had indeed meddled with a matter which it should not have touched upon when it gave special attention to a case against the Iglesia Ni Cristo ministers who are members of the Sanggunian.
He gave as an example the NBN-ZTE deal which until now had not yet been resolved since he gave his testimony before the Senate in 2008.
“Andito ako para makiisa sa INC dahil sa pakikialam ng DOJ sa mga hindi dapat pakialamanan samantalang ang ZTE deal scandal ay hindi parin nareresolba hanggang ngayon,” Lozada said in an interview by an INC member, Harted Molina on Friday night.
The Philippine National Broadband Network controversy, also referred to as the NBN/ZTE deal or NBN/ZTE mess, involved allegations of corruption in the awarding of a US$329 million construction contract to Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE for the proposed government-managed National Broadband Network (NBN).
The contract with ZTE was signed on April 20, 2007 in Hainan, China.
The INC members’ peaceful assembly entered its third day on Saturday, Aug. 29. This time the members converged along EDSA near Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City where the INC was able to get a permit from the city government. The INC members started their rally in front of the DOJ on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 27)
The INC members protested what they called the Department of Justice’s infringement of the INC’s internal policies, particularly its process of discipline for its members.
More INC members from the provinces will reportedly go to the EDSA rally because of the government’s alleged insensitivity to the INC’s call to respect the Church-State provision of the Constitution.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, Aug. 26, the INC issued a statement denouncing Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s personal involvement in helping file the complaint of an expelled minister of the INC, Isaias Samson Jr., for harassment, illegal detention, coercion, and threats.