Members of his family and the Senate sergeant-at-arms were at the airport to fetch him. He never came out of the tube.

What followed was a train of lies spewed out by government functionaries starting with his abduction by armed men as he stepped out of the plane:

Lie No. 1. NAIA security chief Brig. Gen. (ret.) Angel Atutubo said Lozada was "picked up" by SPO4 Roger Valeroso whose ID Atutubo said he had verified. (PNP Chief Avelino Razon said there was no such police officer in the PNP roster. It turned out Atutubo himself escorted the group that picked Lozada up.)

Lie No. 2. PNP Chief Supt. Romeo Hilomen confirmed it was Lozada’s sister Carmen who asked for police protection for her brother on the day of his arrival. (Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said it was Lozada’s brother Arthur who requested the protection through a letter he wrote the PNP.)

Lie No. 3. PNP chief Razon said Lozada was in PNP custody. (But only after Lozada was literally taken for a ride in Metro Manila and environs for hours by his abductors who were evidently not policemen.)

Lie No. 4. Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Lozada was free to go in and out of the De La Salle University compound.

Lie No. 5. Razon said "if the Senate needs him, we can present him to the Senate. It depends on him of course, we can’t force him." Talk about double talk. (Lozada made it to the Senate only after his protectors, the La Salle brothers and nuns, outwitted his police custodians and brought him to the Senate in the wee hours of the morning immediately after his 2 a.m. press conference.)

***

The Makati Business Club (MBC) said that Lozada’s testimony may "mark the beginning of the end" of the Arroyo regime. Perhaps. Perhaps not. But the chances of that happening will greatly improve once the members of the business community finally decide they are ready to put their full weight behind efforts to effect such change. Are they?

***

With the nuns and La Salle brothers literally and figuratively putting their lives on the line for Lozada, I wonder on whom the members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will be putting theirs.

Both the MBC and the CBCP must realize that press statements alone won’t do.

***

At last Friday’s Senate hearing on the odious ZTE-NBN deal, Senators Eduardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Richard Gordon, Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Miguel "Made-in-Maguindanao" Zubiri were very conspicuous by their absence. Senator Antonio Trillanes, of course, had no choice but to be absent.

I think there were two more absent senators whose names escape me. They are probably NPAs (non-performing assets) that’s why I don’t remember their names.

***

Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile and Miriam Defensor-Santiago both failed miserably in their pathetic attempt to bully and rattle witness Lozada and paint him as someone not credible. It was also obvious Lozada disarmed them both with his sincerity and forthrightness.

To me and countless others, Lozada was credible. In eight hours of testimony, he never once deviated from his story. Only a man telling the truth can do that.

***

"Moderate their greed" has become another addition to the many famous or infamous expressions that Ms. Arroyo’s regime has spawned. They include: "I want to be a ‘good’ (as opposed to ‘most corrupt’) president"; "I will not run (for president)"; "Hello, Garci"; "I am sorry (for my lapse in judgment)"; "I do not meddle in government affairs"; "Back off!"

***

One down. One to go? Will the downed one bring about the downfall of the other? That’s the $329 million question.

***

The political assassination of former Speaker Jose de Venecia is reminiscent of the near-assassination of former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson. We all know how that drama ended.

***

De Venecia must be ruing that fateful day in July 2005 when he and former President Fidel Ramos saved Ms. Gloria Arroyo from near-certain political demise in the wake of the "Hello Garci" tapes scandal.

He must also be ruing the three occasions he conspired with Arroyo to save her from impeachment. But that’s all he can do now – rue.

***

As seasoned a politician as he is, I cannot understand why De Venecia believed Arroyo when, according to him, she told him in "profoundest terms" that she supported his continued stay as speaker.

Apparently, in his desperation to save himself from being ousted as speaker, he completely forgot that Ms. Arroyo is capable of lying through her teeth.

I guess he had it coming when he chose to believe that she would choose him over her husband, two sons and a brother-in-law. He supported his own son, didn’t he?

***

I do not think De Venecia can come out with the skeletons in Ms. Arroyo’s closet as he has been threatening to do. He has too many skeletons in his closet himself.

And even if he did, he does not have the credibility to sway people that much. He also takes the risk of inflicting further woes unto himself.

Then again he just might find the gumption to do it and engage Arroyo in the game of MAD, mutually assured destruction. That will make the people rejoice.

***

During the voting on De Venecia’s ouster, Congressman Didagen Dilangalen made the most sensible and apt explanation of his vote.

Dilangalen may have said it in jest but what he didn’t realize was that he expressed the long-held sentiment of the people when he said he would be in favor of De Venecia’s ouster if all seats in the House were declared vacant. (Remember the general reaction of the public to the bombing of the Batasan late last year?)

***

The lobbying firm in Washington recently engaged by the Arroyo regime has another job cut out for it.

US military aid to the Philippines has been chopped by half, from $30 million to $15 million, by President George W. Bush. We’ll find out soon enough if the lobbying firm succeeds in restoring, if not increasing, the aid amount.

***

I agree that the Roman Catholic Church should have no say in the assignment of ambassadors. But like it or not, Mrs. Cristina Ponce Enrile’s effectiveness as ambassador to the Vatican will be adversely affected and greatly diminished by the expressed reservation of the Church here.

I think it would be best for the country and Mrs. Ponce Enrile to decline the appointment and maybe ask her husband to help her get another diplomatic post instead like Prague, Czech Republic or Santiago, Chile which the incumbents who are political appointees have been occupying for ages.

***

Sandrawina Wahid whose vacationing soldier-husband was among those killed during a gun battle in Maimbung, Sulu, said she saw four US soldiers among the Filipino troops who figured in the encounter.

The US Embassy denied Wahid’s claim and said that US troops are forbidden from combat operations.

Whom would you believe, Mrs. Wahid or the US Embassy?

***

Joke of the week: "The President has directed the Department of Justice to conduct (a) preliminary investigation against those who may be liable for violation of procurement laws as well as anti-graft laws in connection with the cancelled NBN/ZTE project." – Press Secretary Ignacio "Two Tapes" Bunye.

***

Quote of the week: "I do not owe my position to the Arroyos." – Speaker Prospero Nograles.

***

Condemnable and contemptible quote of the week: "They say he’s (Lozada) a Chinese from the province. Bagay sa iyo i-deport ka. Magulo ka dito." – Malacañang legal counsel Sergio "Your Wetness" Apostol.

***

Today is the 291st day of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

The lawyer of Jonas’ mother, Edita, has reiterated his petition for the Court of Appeals (CA) to subpoena AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and Army Chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano based on the testimony last week of Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano, commanding officer of the Army’s 59th Infantry Battalion. Feliciano denied he had a hand in Jonas’ disappearance.