BY DENNIS GADIL

A CONTINGENT of the Presidential Security Group was part of the welcoming party for ZTE star witness Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr. last February 5, security logbooks at the Dignitaries Lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal I (NAIA-I) showed.

Senate President Manuel Villar and Blue Ribbon chair Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said they were aghast to learn that the PSG team arrived an hour before the plane carrying Lozada touched down and left at the same time as the convoy bearing the ZTE witness.

"Kailangan nilang ipaliwanag ito. Ano’ng ginagawa nila nung oras na ‘yun? Ordinary official lang naman si Lozada pero bakit ang daming kailangan na sumundo sa kanya, may PNP, PSPO, may MIAA at may PSG pa? Napaka-superstar naman ni Lozada," Villar said in an interview after the senators yesterday retraced the route taken by Lozada and his abductors in an effort to evade media.

The security logbook showed that a PSG team in a grey Toyota Corolla Altis (ZCJ 556) entered the VIP area at around 3:30 p.m. February 5.

The logbook entry said the "PSG" men were "going upstairs" to the Dignitaries Lounge.

Two more vehicles, a Ford Everest (WAA 525) carrying Brig. Gen. (ret.) Angel Atutubo, NAIA security chief, and a Nissan QRV (ZLJ 839), arrived later at the same VIP area at 4:23 p.m., or three minutes before Lozada’s plane landed.

Airport police personnel identified one of the PSG men as "Master Sergeant Bong Fantillanan."

Airport sources said at least two PSG officers were at the Dignitaries Lounge with retired Army sergeant Rodolfo Valeroso and Atutubo minutes before Lozada’s arrival.

Fantillanan was said to be the walking behind Lozada as shown on official airport video footage. Airport officials were tight-lipped about Fantillanan.

Villar said the Senate is not inventing the PSG involvement and pointed to the security logbook as the smoking gun.

Aside from Villar and Cayetano, the Senate contingent included Sen. Rodolfo Biazon of the Senate defense committee and Sen. Gringo Honasan, a member of the Blue Ribbon committee.

Villar said he will ask the Senate tri-committee to also seek the testimonies of the crew of the Cathay Airways plane and Lozada’s co-passengers who could have seen the people who fetched him from the airport’s tube.

Cayetano said the PSG’s presence showed airport and police officials who escorted Lozada at the airport "were not alone" when the NBN-ZTE witness was abducted.

Atutubo on Monday testified that a senior staff helped him in escorting Lozada from the tube’s mouth and that Valeroso and Col. Paul Mascariñas of the Police Security and Protection Office only joined them below at the tarmac in waiting SUVs (sport utility vehicles).

DISCREPANCIES

"That’s a mystery now and what a strange coincidence that they were at the airport when Lozada arrived. Sabay na dumating (with Atutubo) at sabay na umalis," Cayetano said.

He added: "Maraming discrepancies. May ibang tao pa na kasama."

The logbook’s security noted that all the SUV’s left at the same time "upon arriving of VIP together with Gen. Atutubo" at 4:50 p.m.

Cayetano said they received a tip from an unnamed airport personnel to check the airport logbooks, particularly the one at the Dignitaries Lounge basement.

The Senate tri-panel was able to secure photocopies of the security logbooks at Gate 1 and from the Dignitaries Lounge.

Cayetano said a Cpl. Ronnie Ramilla was also with the PSG group when they went up to the Dignitaries Lounge minutes before Lozada’s arrival.

Ramilla, however, was later identified as a member of the airport police unit under Atutubo.

Villar and Cayetano nevertheless stressed that the Senate joint panel is not making any conclusions yet and would wait for the submission of the documents that they have asked from the NAIA management.

The senators are asking for the logbook where the signatures of Valeroso and Mascariñas appeared and the list of all vehicles that passed through the VIP gate that afternoon.

REGULAR FIXTURE

The senators did not buy the initial explanation of airport officials led by Alfonso Cusi, general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority, that PSG personnel are a regular fixture at the NAIA airport especially when foreign dignitaries are arriving.

Cusi, who appeared surprised at the discovery of the "PSG" entry from the logbook, said not only PSG men are detailed at the NAIA premises, but also personnel from the National Bureau of Investigation.

"I have to check on that," he said when informed about the "PSG" entry in the logbook.

When asked if he was aware that PSG men were also part of the group that fetched Lozada, Cusi said: "I didn’t know."

Before giving the senators a visual presentation of the exit route taken by Lozada, Cusi was seen confronting a senior staff in one corner about how the logbook ended up with the senators.

"Papano napunta sa kanila ‘yan (logbook). Problema ‘yang logbook," Cusi was overheard telling his staff.

Cusi, who did not join the "walk through" of senators, said the presence of PSG in the airport "does not automatically involve them."

"Kaya PSG, ili-link na naman sa Malacañang. The PSG, like the NBI, is a regular part of the airport," he said.

Cusi said the logbook contains the activities of the airport for the whole day and "not only for Lozada."

Cusi reiterated the video footage showed that Lozada was not harmed or forced to go with airport personnel. "Very smooth ang arrival ni Lozada, no resistance."

PSG LIAISON

An hour after the airport tour of the senators, Cusi and Atutubo were one in saying the PSG referred to the logbook was the "PSG liaison" to NAIA.

Atutubo said a PSG liaison officer is always detailed at the NAIA and has a "seasonal all access pass." He declined to name the PSG liaison officer.

Asked why a team of PSG men took interest in an ordinary government functionary like Lozada, Cusi and Atutubo did not have a ready answer.

Atutubo admitted he saw Lozada boarding the Altis but said he could not tell if the PSG men were indeed in the same vehicle.

In the senators’ walk through, it was found out that Lozada’s welcoming party took him from the tube to the terminal, led him out of Gate 7, and brought him to the departure area on the second floor using the stairs in the arrival area.

The group skipped the immigration and customs areas.

At the departure area, Lozada’s alleged abductors went against the flow of departing passengers and took an elevator near the departure concourse area down to the waiting SUVs.

Airport sources said the route taken by the group was against international standards.

PLOT THICKENS

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the plot thickens.

"Lalong lumalalim, lalong luma-lawak ‘yung web, ‘yung conspiracy. May PSG ba doon? Yon ang tanong ngayon," he said in a radio interview.

Lacson added: "Pag ang PSG na ang na-involve, Malacañang na ‘yon. So bakit nandoon ang PSG kung totoo, labas na sa trabaho nila yon. Di naman darating ang Pangulo, di naman darating ang First Gentleman, di naman darating si Mikey, di darating ang mga anak. Bakit may PSG doon?"

Cayetano, in a press conference, said the PSG’s presence at the airport to welcome Lozada "is suspicious."

Initially, Atutubo and NAIA Terminal 1 manager Octavio Lina and Valeroso were seen on closed circuit television cameras escorting Lozada to the tube.

During the re-enactment of Lozada’s arrival, it was established that Atutubo was waiting outside the door of the plane, while Valeroso was a few feet away.

Atutubo, who did not recognize Lozada, followed only after he saw Valeroso take Lozada’s passport and hand-carried luggage.

During a tour of the passageway where Lozada was taken, Atutubo said that they allowed the former to go to the toilet, which is adjacent to the elevator that they used later,

At this point, Honasan asked why they allowed Lozada to enter the toilet unescorted. Atutubo replied, "There is no way that Lozada could escape because there is only one exit and entry point to the toilet."

When he came out of the toilet, Lozada was escorted to the elevator and down the tarmac where the three cars were waiting.

PSG commander Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza denied that they were involved in any attempt to abduct or prevent Lozada from testifying in the Senate’s hearing.

Prestoza said PSG officials are prepared to face the Senate if the need arises and with their superiors’ permission.

Prestoza said the PSG has a regular liaison officer at the airport to enable them access in and out of the facility especially when there are members of the First Family who need to be escorted.

OBSTRUCTION

Human rights lawyers and Sen. Jamby Madrigal, will file a case of obstruction of justice against Palace officials for allegedly trying to prevent Lozada from testifying.

Madrigal said President Arroyo should have been impleaded in the case as the mastermind but for immunity from suit.

"After the end of her immunity on or before June 30, 2010, a case shall be filed against her for her participation in this case," Madrigal said.

Madrigal said Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez should inhibit herself. "She has no business hearing this complaint for being a known lackey of Mrs. Arroyo and her cohorts."

Lacson said government authorities are now readying the statements and documents of Rodolfo Valeroso in case he surfaces at the Senate inquiry.

Valeroso has been summoned to testify in investigations on the alleged kidnapping of Lozada.

Lacson said Valeroso’s statements, along with his deployment at the ASG, are now being prepared by his "handlers."

"Ang balita ko, dino-document nila. Inaayos ‘yung pagka-detail niya sa Aviation Security Group. Inaayos ang mga papeles para pagharap sa Senado areglado na," Lacson said.

Lacson said it was suspicious that Valeroso, a retired master sergeant who was taken in only recently as a consultant of the PNP Aviation Security Group, was entrusted with fetching Lozada.

"Nakakapagtaka, anong gina-gawa ng retired master sergeant sa operation na ito?" Lacson said. – With Jay Chua and JP Lopez