Joker: Lozada appears credible but…

He may appear to be a credible witness but he needs more evidence to back up his claims. This was how administration Sen. Joker Arroyo on Tuesday described ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr, who has testified twice before the Senate on the controversial NBN-ZTE deal. "It (Lozada testimony) was a case of his words versus those of the government. But as a witness, he looks credible," Arroyo said in a news briefing. "When the time comes for the committee to write its report, this would be one instance where there would be so many separate dissenting and concurring opinions," Arroyo added, noting the lack of documents to bolster the claims of both Lozada and Jose de Venecia III before the Senate. Lozada had testified on his alleged abduction upon his return from Hong Kong last week. Government officials, on the other hand, refuted Lozada’s claims, saying it was the former president of Philforest Corp. who sought police protection. He had also linked First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo and former Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos to the botched deal. In previous Senate hearings, former socio-economic and planning secretary Romulo Neri and Jose de Venecia III testified on Abalos’ alleged involvement in securing a huge commission from the deal. Mike Arroyo and Abalos have since denied the allegations against them. Bipolar personality In Tuesday’s press briefing, Arroyo noted observations of his psychiatrist-friend that Lozada appears to have a bipolar personality disorder. For several times in testifying before the Senate last week and on Monday, Lozada would cry and then be in a jovial mood again a few minutes later. Arroyo also noted that it is not yet established whether Lozada can also be called an ‘expert’ witness in relation to the NBN project. - GMANews.TV