Sandiganbayan Finds Lozada Guilty of GraftPhoto courtesy of luzon.politics.com.phThe Sandiganbayan Fourth Division found NBN-ZTE whistleblower Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada Jr. and his brother Jose Orlando Lozada guilty of graft during their promulgation for conspiring with one another to award a leasehold right of 6.599 hectares of public land without undergoing the proper process. The case stemmed from the actions made by the Lozada brothers on December 18, 2007 in the city of Taguig, when Jun was then the President and Chief Executive Office (CEO) of the Philippine Forest Corporation with Salary Grade 30,according to the joint decision released by the Fourth Division. He took advantage of his position when he conspired with his brother Jose Orlando and awarded the latter with the said lease under the Lupang Hinirang Program of the Philippine Forest Corporation, even if his brother did not undergo the prescribed application process. As for Jose Orlando, he was in the wrong for accepting the award even with knowledge of the absence of the required application process. But during the trial of the case, Jun denied awarding the leasehold right under the Lupang Hinirang Program to his brother during his tenure as president of the PFC.

Source: Manila Bulletin August 23, 2016 08:48 UTC