World | Philippines
Police chief accused of abduction
A key witness in the corruption scandal involving President Gloria Arroyo's husband and ally has filed a kidnapping case against a top police official for allegedly abducting him.
- By Barbara Mae Dacanay, Bureau Chief
- Published: 01:05 February 23, 2008
- Image Credit: AP
- Corruption case witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr (right) greets employees of the Department of Justice in Manila.
Manila: A key witness in the corruption scandal involving President Gloria Arroyo's husband and ally has filed a kidnapping case against a top police official for allegedly abducting him.
Rolando Lozada, a middle-level official, has accused federal police chief Avelino Razon and seven other policemen of abducting him on his arrival from Hong Kong in last February to prevent him from testifying before the Senate in the corruption probe.
Lozada has alleged that Arroyo's husband Jose Miguel and former Commission on Elections Chief Benjamin Abalos wanted $100 million (Dh367 million) as payoff from the $329-million broadband project of the government,
During his Senate testimony, Lozada said he would not accuse the police chief and his men of kidnapping because they were kind to him.
Mobile phone use
In a testimony, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said that Lozada had called up for protection before his plane landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in last February.
Atienza said he called up Razon who immediately formed a team to secure Lozada.
Razon also said that Lozada was allowed to use his mobile phone.
However, the Philippine Senate also sent officers to arrest Lozada at that time because he had left the country after receiving its summons to testify.
Lozada's wife and brother had filed a writ of habeas corpus before the Supreme Court to get "custody" of Lozada after he was given security by policemen.
Police officers said they were surprised why they were being accused of kidnapping, and causing Lozada's alleged disappearance when his wife was with him before she filed a petition for a court directive for his production.
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