Jun Lozada, brother surrender to NBI after SC upholds graft conviction

NBN-ZTE deal whistleblower Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada Jr. and his brother on Thursday surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after the Supreme Court recently affirmed their conviction in 2016 for graft.

This was confirmed by NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin, according to Glen Juego’s Super Radyo dzBB report.

The High Court denied the petition of Lozada and his brother, Jose Orlando Lozada, and sentenced them to a minimum imprisonment of six years and one month and maximum imprisonment of 10 years and one day.

The Ombudsman accused Lozada of partiality and giving unwarranted benefits when he awarded over 6.599 hectares of public land to his brother under the Lupang Hinirang Program of the Philippine Forest Corporation (Philforest) last 2007.

He was the president of the Philforest at that time.

They were found guilty of graft by the Sandiganbayan in August 2016.

Lozada was a whistleblower in the multi-million NBN-ZTE deal involving former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. —Richa Noriega/NB, GMA News