Any entertainer worth his salt who has performed in Cebu will tell you that Cebuano audiences are the hardest to please. But when they fall in love with you, they become fiercely loyal.
Apparently no one told this to Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr., star witness of the Senate inquiry into the ZTE-NBN corruption scandal. So Jun Lozada came, he saw, and he fizzled out. There were no huge crowds, no confetti, no politico-like handshakes wherever he went, and the forum wherein he spoke was only a third full.
It’s not that Cebuanos are not politically conscious. They are against corruption as any patriotic Filipino. They are abreast of the Senate inquiry and are indignant over the broadband scandal. A majority, in fact, believe in Jun Lozada.
So why was there a measly turn-out on his visit? Cebuanos simply felt he didn’t have to come. They heard everything he had to say to the Senate. What could he say more that would compel Cebuanos to stop their daily routine and flock to hear him speak?
Yet, Jun Lozada could have made his visit worthwhile by patiently making his views known to forum participants, no matter how few they were, and lay the groundwork for a future visit. Instead, he insults Cebuano sensibilities by bad-mouthing their beloved and highly respected prelate, Cardinal Vidal, charging him of giving an order to priests in his archdiocese not to say Mass for Jun Lozada.
He called the Cebu archdiocese the "The Archdiocese of Malacañang." The Black and White Movement shortly followed this up by calling Vidal a "Congressman in Cossack."
When the truth came out that there was no such order, Lozada sheepishly dismissed his statement as a "joke," further alienating himself from Cebuanos. Many felt he should have apologized outright and shore up his image as a crusader of truth. You do not come into the turf of a deeply religious people and insult their spiritual leader and then hope to visit again proclaiming to be the harbinger of truth.
So, will this turn Cebuanos into non-believers of Jun Lozada? Not likely. For Cebuanos, what transpired was seen as a failed attempt of Manileños to foist their brand of politics on us. Perhaps, better luck next time … if there is a next time.
Oh, and an apology won’t hurt either.
March 21st, 2008 - 1:32 pm
[...] Here’s a good commentary on Jun Lozada’s misstep into Cebu. Read it here — [...]
March 22nd, 2008 - 3:20 pm
I think Lozada’s head has become bloated after all the welcomes that he received from Universities in Manila. He thinks of himself as a celebrity already most probably and that everyone woulod go out of their way to see and hear him speak about the infamous ZTE deal scandal. What more could he say after all his talks in Manila being televisioned nationwide? Nothing more I presume. And why would he really need a mass before his speech? Why would he really? I don’t understand. If he was really intent on getting our sentiments… it was a bad move for his part. All he was able to do was get the ire of the Cebuanos. We are thankful for him to have mustered up the courage to go against the government but don’t expect us to revere you.
April 9th, 2008 - 5:44 pm
Jun Lozada’s intentions, per se, on his provincial trips are steadily being questioned by almost all friends I know of. Indeed, his actuations and moves nowadays seem to diminish his credibility. Why do I say this? Due to the fact that his provincial sorties will not only deliver any other good for his campaign on ‘his search for truth’ to the NBN deal but self destructing as well.
Further, did it ever occur to our mind that his sorties is delivering for him unprecedented ‘awareness’ that can be translated to actual vote casts in an electoral process in the very near future? This is a fact. No matter how he or they will deny this, Lozada is gearing up to his ulterior motive for an electoral post. His reputation precedes him, especially during his stint as President of Phil Forest Corp.
This I may call, a dastard wolf dressed in grandma’s clothing.
April 18th, 2008 - 7:23 am
Just late last month, Jun Lozada came to Cebu to increase his popularity on the masses. Accompanied by religious people, the ZTE star witness conducted his campus tour at the University of San Carlos. The university is situated at the heart of the city with over 15 thousand students. One of the interesting things that happened is that there was no mass celebrant. I think the priests at San Carlos are intelligent enough not to buy the controversy. In the middle of the open forum, a man ask Jun Lozada if why the issue of the national broadband was not brought to the higher court. I believe that this is a very intelligent question but i just don’t understand why the pro-Lozada don’t understand it and “booed” the man. The “booing” only stopped when another person asked Lozada another question. The only thing here is that why is the star witness didn’t answer the intelligent query. I don’t think this is a very hard question that not even a star witness can answer. The man was brought out from the gym and was even punched by one of the Lozada supporters. I’m sorry to tell this but i think even the supporters do not know who and what they are supporting to. I think they are just blinded by their anger to the government to the so-called misfortune that it caused to them. Another sad thing is that a wife of a prominent person in IBP pointed a finger to the man asking the question. This is not a very professional gesture since she is in the public and what she said that the man doesn’t belong to the forum is a very funny thing since the forum is for truth and the question is a very civil question.
Lozada is a disrespectful person. I am very sorry to pre-judged him but he really is. What is his basis of accusing the highly respected Cardinal Vidal of sending memorandum to the priest not to celebrate a mass for Lozada? He even worsen it when he said that Cebu is an archdiocese of Malacañang. Just one thing Mr. Lozada, if the Cebuanos don’t like to buy your scrap then why not just leave them and respect their decisions? You are deemed as a star witness, yet there is even no sure that all that you said are true! Come on, you cannot fool the Cebuano people… We are not wild animals, in fact we are even more domesticated than the people in the capital. You absolutely don’t feel good because it can be counted by the fingers those people who attended your forum. You can never fool the middle class and elite society and even the less fortunate people of Cebu. Cebu is not Manila nor Manila is the imperial truth, the painful truth. Cebuanos can never be paid to attend rally.
Mr. Jun Lozada, the Cebuanos are demanding apology!!!