4 'fake' NBI agents visit Jun Lozada's house - priest

MANILA, Philippines - Four armed men who claimed to be agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) harassed the household members of Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr.'s residence on Thursday night.

Father Marlon Lacal, executive secretary of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP), said in an interview over radio dzMM that the four armed men in civilian clothes arrived at Lozada's residence at 6 p.m.

Lacal said that the four armed men threatened to arrest Lozada's household helpers if they will refuse to reveal where the NBN-ZTE deal whistleblower was.

"Wala doon si Jun kaya ang mga hinarass ay 'yong mga kasambahay ni Jun. Sinabihan na kung hindi sila magsasabi kung nasaan si Jun, sila 'yong ipapakulong," the priest said.

Lacal said that when he was informed of the incident, he texted Justice Secretary Leila de Lima if she sent the NBI agents.

"Ang sabi ni Secretary De Lima, 'Father wala pa po akong ipinadalang NBI agents ngayon. Mga impostor 'yan,'" Lacal said.

Lozada had said that he and his family are now in the protective custody of the AMRSP.

The Sandiganbayan ordered Lozada's arrest two weeks ago in connection with the graft cases filed against him for his grant of leasehold rights grant to his brother and to a private company connected with his wife in 2009 when he was president and chief executive officer of the state-run Philippine Forest Corp.

The anti-graft court also ordered the arrest of Lozada's brother.

Lozada is one of the key witnesses of the government in the graft charges filed against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, former poll chief Benjamin Abalos Sr., former Transportation secretary Leandro Mendoza, and former National Economic and Development Authority chief Romulo Neri, were based on the botched $329-million NBN project signed by the government with China's ZTE Corp. in 2007.