NAGA CITY -- Displaying solidarity with a nation clamoring for truth, the Sangguniang Panlungsod here, thru a resolution authored by City Councilor John Bongat, expressed the city government’s genuine appreciation and strong support to star witness fellow Bicolano Jun Lozada who is in the middle of a political storm following exposure of the scandal-wracked $329 million National Broadband deal with ZTE Corp. of China.

        Lozada has accused First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos, and other top officials of the Arroyo administration of conspiring to personally benefit through kickbacks from the proposed multi-million dollar NBN-ZTE deal.

        He also accused top Malacañang officials and police and military officers of doing everything to bar him from testifying in the Senate about what he knew of the NBN-ZTR scandal.

        In a resolution unanimously passed by the Sanggunain during its regular session last Tuesday, Feb. 19, Bongat stressed that the statement of support is also the city officialdom’s way of expressing its unyielding resentment against all forms of graft and corruption in government.

        The passing of the resolution, a copy of which will be furnished the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Ligao, Albay where Lozada hails from, was preceded by privilege speech delivered by Bongat on the floor where he stressed that “in the years to come when we shall have left the portals of City Hall, we can look back to this day, the 19th of February 2008, as the day that each of us in this august body stood up for the truth and for our country.”

        He underscored that “in a time of crisis such as this, I am inclined to argue that silence is a devil’s cohort for he who allows corruption and malfeasance to flourish by doing nothing also shares the crime.”

        He said that Lozada’s crusade for truth must not fail. “On the contrary, it must be made stronger by our people’s unified support as we need to see that what he has started must no go in vain, for the greater interest of our long-suffering nation.”

        He stressed that unless something is done to take side with the truth, our nation will remain trapped in the politics of perpetual scandal and recurring crisis where the biggest loser in all this as always, are the Filipino people.

        Bongat urged fellow Bicolanos to stand behind Lozada and show their solidarity with the people’s crusade for truth and good governance.

        In earlier interviews, Naga City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo said he believed in the truthfulness of Lozada’s exposes about the NBN-ZTE deal. He explained that an ordinary man like Jun Lozada would not dare stand up against the awesome powers of Malacañang and its moneyed cohorts if he does not possess the most powerful weapon of all, which is the truth.

        Abet Bercasio, president of the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, took exception to Ambassador Donald Dee’s manifestation that the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry is solidly behind the President following the crisis spawned by Lozada’s exposes.

        Bercasio said Dee has no right to use the PCCI in expressing its sentiment on the issue since the latter is no longer the president of the PCCI, the country’s largest aggrupation of businessmen and traders. “For one, we have never been consulted as a chamber for our sentiment when Mr. Dee made that declaration of support for the President,” Bercasio said, adding that personally he is for the truth and that in this case, Lozada appears many times more credible than those who are moving heaven and earth to muzzle him from telling what he knows about the scandal-laden NBN deal.

        Meanwhile, other sectors in the city have joined the mounting clamor for a people’s action to fight graft and corruption and support Lozada’s dauntless battle to expose the dark side of the Arroyo administration.

        Students at the Ateneo de Naga University are mobilizing their efforts to gather people’s signatures expressing support to whistle-blower Lozada.

        The Naga City-based Developmental Institute for Bicolano Artists (DIBA) last Feb. 17 issued a manifesto calling on all those who believe in Lozada “to stand up, join communal action, and urge the Fourth Estate and the religious sector to become pro-active sanctuaries of concern, champions of the oppressed and confederates in the campaign against ruthlessness, corruption, and greed.”