BY DENNIS GADIL

AIRPORT and police officials yesterday maintained NBN-ZTE star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada was not abducted, insisting his life was in danger and that he had to be secured when he arrived last February 5 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Hong Kong.

Senior Supt. Paul Mascariñas of the Police Security and Protection Office (PSPO) told the Senate tri-committee investigating the alleged irregularities in the broadband deal that he formed a four-man team to fetch and secure Lozada on orders of Chief Supt. Romeo Hilomen, PSPO chief.

Mascariñas said he never inquired about the nature of the threats but these could have come from several groups including the New People’s Army.

Mascariñas said his order was to secure Lozada but "there was no instruction where he would go."

Brig. Gen. (ret.) Angel Atutubo, NAIA security chief, said he coordinated with Mascariñas and a certain Rodolfo Valeroso whom he initially identified as from the PNP with a rank of SPO4 (Senior Police Officer 4).

Valeroso later turned out to be a retired Army master sergeant connected with the Aviation Security Group which is also under the PNP.

"Our order was to give maximum security para kay Lozada," Atutubo said.

Atutubo said it was Valeroso who secured the bags of Lozada and his passport.

Valeroso was not present during Monday’s hearing.

Mascariñas said he was chosen by the chief of the ASG.

Atutubo echoed Mascariñas saying Valeroso was authorized by ASG to pick up Lozada at the airport.

Atutubo admitted Lozada did not go through proper arrival procedures, including immigration and customs.

He said he was not aware that Lozada was on the airport’s watch list upon his arrival.

"There was no copy furnished by the immigration," Atutubo said.

Lozada told the Senate joint panel that his passport has yet to be returned to him.

Atutubo said the passport could still be in the possession of Valeroso.

When asked by senators if it was normal for someone to skip immigration, Atutubo said it should be answered by immigration officials.

"Immigration is different from security procedures," he said.

He said all they did was in accordance with international airport standards.

Atutubo said the security measures undertaken were normal standard operating procedure for an arriving VIP (very important person).

Alfonso Cusi, general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority, said the Senate did not coordinate with them over their plan to arrest Lozada.

Cusi said pictures and footage of the airport’s closed circuit television showed Lozada was walking "freely" with the men who fetched him.

"Based on the CCTV recording, there was no force used, there were no military men who fetched Mr. Lozada," he said.

He said Lozada was allowed to go to a NAIA comfort room for 10 minutes and his cellular phone was not confiscated.

Cusi said unlike the Senate sheriffs, Mascariñas and Valeroso personally coordinated with Atutubo before fetching Lozada.