Three out of every five adult Filipinos believe the testimony of Senate witness Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada, Jr. that he was made to leave the country by some government officials to avoid testifying in the Senate ZTE probe, a survey by Social Weather Stations revealed Monday.

According to the survey, fielded over March 28-31, 2008, 58 percent of 1,200 respondents believe Lozada’s statement that he was picked up at the airport and driven around by unknown men against his will.

It said 54 percent believe his statement that former elections chief Benjamin Abalos asked for a $130 million dollar bribe from ZTE.

The March 2008 survey found that 60 percent believe while 31 percent do not believe Lozada’s statement that “he was made to leave the country by some government officials so that he could not testify in the Senate investigation on the government contract with ZTE."

On Lozada’s statement that “he was picked up against his will upon his arrival from Hong Kong by unknown men, and driven around for several hours to places he did not want to go to,” 58 percent believe it and 33 percent do not believe it.

As to his statement that “former COMELEC Chairman Abalos asked for a bribe of  $130 million dollars from ZTE,” 54 percent believe it and 35 percent do not believe it.

Belief in Lozada highest in Metro Manila

Three out of four (75%) in Metro Manila, 58 percent in Mindanao, 57 percent in Balance Luzon and 56 percent in the Visayas believe Lozada’s statement that he was made to go abroad by some officials to prevent him from testifying in the Senate investigation on the government contract with ZTE.

His statement that there was an attempt to abduct him upon his arrival from Hong Kong is believed by 76 percent in Metro Manila, 57 percent in Mindanao, 56 percent in Balance Luzon, and 49 percent in the Visayas.

His testimony that former COMELEC Chairman Abalos asked for a bribe of $130 million from ZTE is believed by 76 percent in Metro Manila, 55 percent in Mindanao, 50 percent in Balance Luzon, and 48 percent in the Visayas.

Belief in Lozada’s statement that he was made to leave the country by government officials to avoid testifying in the Senate ZTE probe is 70 percent among the upper-middle classes ABC, 61 percent among class D or the masa, and 51 percent among class E.

Belief in his statement about men who tried to abduct him upon his arrival from Hong Kong is 64 percent among classes ABC, 60 percent among class D, and 47 percent among class E believe it.

Belief in his statement that former Chairman Abalos asked for a bribe of  $130 million dollars from ZTE is 58 percent among class D, 53 percent among classes ABC, and 44 percent among class E.