The transfer to the city jail of Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, NBN-ZTE deal star witness, was stalled Thursday after the court judge who issued the arrest warrant filed a leave of absence. Judge Jorge Emmanuel Loredo of the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court (MMTC) Branch 26 went on leave effective Thursday, a radio dzMM report said. The judge's leave of absence left the Manila Police District (MPD) no choice but to postpone Lozada's transfer to the Manila City Jail. The MPD needs to secure a commitment order from the MMTC Branch 26 before transferring Lozada from its headquarters to the city jail. Policemen on Wednesday afternoon arrested Lozada and took him from the Brother's House in La Salle in Greenhills, San Juan City, after serving the arrest warrant issued by Loredo for a perjury case filed by President Gloria Arroyo's former chief of staff, Michael Defensor. Lozada was allowed to stay at the MPD headquarters' warrant section, where he was joined by his family and friends. Loredo initially dismissed the perjury case against Lozada. He issued the warrant of arrest after his decision was reversed by Judge Cicero D. Jurado Jr. of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 11. The radio report, meanwhile, added that the clerk of court of the MMTC Branch 26 and the Manila City legal office chief Glenda Madeo have agreed to schedule Lozada's arraignment on May 7. The report said the arraignment of Lozada's wife, Violeta, for another perjury case was deferred by Presiding Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar of the MMTC Branch 5. The arraignment was deferred after Violeta's lawyers advised the MMTC Branch 5 that they will file a motion for certiorari at the Manila RTC. A bishop on Thursday appealed to authorities that for Lozada to be placed under house arrest. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said his group have already filed a petition before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 seeking house arrest for Lozada. “Jun is anemic so we are worried about his health if he will be imprisoned. We are asking that he be placed under house arrest,” said Pabillo. Critics condemned Lozada's arrest as part of an effort to silence him from further disclosing the anomalies surrounding the $329-million broadband network contract between the government and China's Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp.
