MALACAÑANG officials tried to stop Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. from testifying in the anomalous NBN-ZTE deal by sending him to Hong Kong on a contrived official trip.

When he decided to come back last Tuesday, the officials staged his abduction at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on the basis of a cooked-up request for protection by Lozada.

Lozada told yesterday’s Senate hearing that his trip to Hong Kong last Jan. 30 was the idea of Deputy Executive Secretary Manny Gaite.

He said Palace officials decided that he should leave for Hong Kong after hitting a dead-end on the legal remedy to prevent him from appearing at the Senate.

He said it was made to appear that he would be attending a seminar in London.

He said his travel authority was also antedated because the seminar was scheduled on February 3.

Lozada said when the arrest order for him came out on Jan. 30, he consulted acting Higher Education chair Romulo Neri.

He said Neri assured him that Malacañang would take care of everything.

While in Hong Kong, Lozada said he was instructed by Neri to write a letter to Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile to convince him to withdraw the Senate arrest order. He said Neri told him what to put in his letter through a text message.

He said received a call from Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza to cut short his trip and return on February 5 instead of February 7.

The Philippine Forest Corp. of which Lozada is president, is under the DENR.

"Sabi niya, ‘kailan ka ba dapat umuwi?’ February 7? So umuwi ka na ng February 5. Don’t take yung maraming tao. Yung alanganing oras ka umuwi," Lozada recalled.

When Lozada inquired about the Senate warrant, Atienza said Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan had already been informed about his arrival and he would be allowed to pass through immigration without a hitch.

He said that while in the company of four "military-looking" armed men who took him from the airport Tuesday, they stopped by a gas station in Laguna.

Lozada said it was there when he was instructed by one of the men to write a letter showing that he requested for a security detail.

He said by then, the men had already received instructions to bring him back to Metro Manila because of the media hype on his supposed abduction.

Lozada said that after writing the request, he was told that he would be turned over to the police.

While in transit, he said Atienza called up saying "Jun, huwag kang mag-alala. Relax ka lang. Mga tao natin ‘yan. Relax ka lang."

Lozada said Neri called up asking him to calm his wife, Violeta who had become hysterical upon learning of his disappearance.

"Sabi niya, ‘Jun, patahimikin mo. Calm, calm your wife down. Calm your wife down. They’re panicking in the media."

When asked by Neri to call up his wife, Lozada said: "Sir, she cannot calm down. I have to go. She has to see me. Hindi titigil iyon."

Lozada said he was turned over Tuesday night to a group led by a certain "Atty. Antonio Bautista" and a "Col. Paul Mascariñas" in a restaurant in Libis.

Lozada said Bautista introduced himself as Neri’s lawyer and took his testimony to be made into an affidavit.

He said after Bautista got hold of his testimony, he was able to convince them that he be taken to La Salle Greenhills instead of their original destination, which was the Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City , to avoid the swarm of media.

He said it was at the La Salle Greenhills compound that he was reunited with his family.

He noticed, however, that the four men who took him from the airport did not leave the compound.

He said the next day, Mascariñas and his men brought to him to the office of Bautista to sign the affidavit.

He said Bautista said it would give "comfort level" to Malacañang if he signed the affidavit. He said he was also asked to sign a typewritten letter purportedly showing that he had asked the PNP leadership for protection.

"So lahat po ng isubo nila sa akin, I had to sign," Lozada said.

When he was brought back to La Salle Greenhills, Lozada said his sister, Carmen, told him she was made to sign a separate letter request after Malacañang and police officials appear to clash in their versions of his request for police protection.

Lozada said he called up PNP chief Avelino Razon to apologize that his name was being dragged into his alleged disappearance.

Razon received flak for confirming that Lozada was in the custody of the Police Security and Protection Office.

"He was forced to say a lie. So naawa ako sa kanya actually. I know he’s a good man but napipilitan pa siyang magsinungaling," he said.

Lozada said former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor went to see him Wednesday evening at the La Salle Greenhills dormitory.

He said Defensor told him to immediately call a press conference to deny that he was abducted but he begged off saying he did not want to talk anymore.

"And he was so gracious. Sabi ni Mike, ‘Oh eto panggastos-gastos,’" Lozada said.

Lozada said he thought about the press conference and consulted the sisters and brothers at the La Salle Greenhills compound.

"Mga alas dose na po iyon. Nagdesisyon po ako, which really made my wife freak out, na I will just go to the Senate na lang. I will submit myself to the Senate panel. Enough of this, sabi ko. Hindi na ko makikisali sa mga pinapapirmahan sa akin."

Lozada said his "security detail" left him after he gave a press conference past 2 a.m. Thursday and after the Senate arresting teams arrived at the La Salle compound.

‘THERE WAS NO REQUEST’

Carmen Lozada, in a radio interview, denied ever asking security assistance from the PNP as well as signing a request form seeking help from the Police Security and Protection Office.

"Bakit naman ako hihingi ng tulong sa mga pumatay sa kapatid ko? Gusto ko lang linawain na hindi PNP at lalong hindi ang gobyerno ang hinihingiang naming ng tulong," Carmen said.

Fernando Lozada was killed in 2001 by police who mistook him for a kidnapper.

Carmen clarified it was the Association of Major Religious Superiors which they asked for help as Jun was worried about the Senate arrest order.

Razon had said that it was Carmen who sought assistance from the PSPO.

He added Lozada formalized his request by executing his own request letter upon arrival from Hong Kong.

Carmen said it was unfair for Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno to blame the Las Salle Brothers for not informing the public that Lozada was with them. "Humingi na nga kami ng sanctuary sa La Salle Brothers tapos sisisihin pa nila."

Razon, in an interview, wondered why the Lozadas are singing a different tune.

"Hindi naman tayo nagsisinungaling sinasabi lang natin ang totoong nangyari na si Jun Lozada ay nag-request ng security detail ito ay pinakita sa sulat ng kanyang kapatid na si Carmen Lozada at mismong sa kanyang sulat kamay na ginawa niya on his own volition," he said.

Razon said he is willing to defend before the Senate inquiry the security provided to Lozada from the NAIA up to La Salle Greenhills even to the extent of defying Executive Order 464.

PROVE ACCUSATIONS

Palace officials dared Lozada to prove his claim that members of the administration may have been aware of supposed moves to prevent him from testifying in the Senate.

Deputy spokespersons Anthony Golez and Lorelei Fajardo said it very easy to drag or even mention names.

"Iyung pagdadawit ng pangalan ng Pangulo, ni (Executive) Secretary (Eduardo) Ermita at kahit na sino pa, madaling sabihin iyun kung walang ebidnesya. So mahirap tayong mag-implicate ng kung sino-sino ng walang direct evidence," Golez said.

Lozada, in his testimony yesterday, claimed that after his pre-dawn press conference Thursday that someone on behalf of President Arroyo was trying to talk to him.

Fajardo said even Lozada however, was not sure if indeed the "Ma’am" or "Madam" that was referred to in these accounts was indeed the President.

Golez and Fajardo reiterated that if there is evidence to prove that the personalities mentioned were involved in anomalies or irregularities, they should bring it to the courts.

Golez and Fajardo also said that they have not yet talked to Undersecretary Remedios Poblador who was identified by Lozada as directing him to write a letter to Sen. Enrile to inform him that he has no knowledge about the NBN deal.

They also denied that a certain "Attorney Bautista" was connected with the government particularly with the office of deputy executive secretary Manuel Gaite.

Golez and Fajardo declined to comment on a supposed statement of Bautista asking Lozada to sign the document "for the comfort of Malacañang."

Gaite was not available for comment.

Atienza said Lozada may have withheld more volatile information in his testimony.

"Ang narinig ko sa pagkakasalaysay nya sa akin ay grabeng-grabe. Pero wala akong narinig kanina (in the Senate inquiry),"Atienza said.

Lozada had quoted Atienza as telling him: "Naku, pag sinabi mong lahat yan eh baka ibigay mo ang gobyerno sa oposisyon."

"Meron syang sinabi sa akin na di nya sinabi (at the Senate inquiry). Siguro sya lang nakakaalam noon. I cannot speak for him," Atienza said. – Dennis Gadil, Raymond Africa, Victor Reyes, Jocelyn Montemayor and Job Realubit