Three persons who have testified before Senate committee investigations on three high-profile cases remain under Senate protective custody.

One of them is Engr. Rodolfo ‘’Jun’’ Lozada who had testified against former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos on the controversial $327 million ZTE-national broadband network (NBN) contract.

Lozada has been under protective custody since 2009 by the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, headed by retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Jose V. Balajadia Jr.

He also remains under the protection of nuns of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines ever since he and his family sought their protection while at the De La Salle University at Greenhills, San Juan.

The two others are Carolina Hinola and Namnama Pacete-Santos.

` The two had testified against former Sto. Domingo Mayor Celso de los Angeles, owner of Legacy Group of Companies which eventually collapsed after allegations of fraud by his investment and banking companies..

Although the 14th Congress ended following its June 4 sine die adjournment, there is still no word or order from the Senate leadership withdrawing the protective cover over the three witnesses.

The three – Lozada, Pacete-Santos, and Pacete – were also linked to the controversial cases they had testified against.

The Senate had failed to approve the committee report of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on the ZTE deal and the committee report of the Senate trade and commerce committee on the Legacy scam.

As a result, their recommendations against certain personalities could not be acted upon by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Congress also failed to act on the proposed Whistleblowers Act of Sen. Panfilo Lacson to protect government witnesses in Senate committee hearings.

To give financial assistance to witnesses who have appeared in Senate committee hearings, Lacson signed in two of the witnesses as his consultants at the Senate.

They are Dante Madriaga in the ZTE case and Jose Barredo in the equally controversial R870 million fertilizer scam.

Some who have testified at Senate committee hearings were not satisfied with the way the Senate treated them.

One of the ‘’disastisfied witnesses’’ was Sandra Cam, who testified on the rampant illegal gambling (jueteng, a numbers game) in the Bicol region and other parts of the country. She also testified that she allegedly gave jueteng protection money to presidential son, Pampanga Rep. Jose Miguel ‘’Mikey’’ Arroyo and his uncle, Rep. Ignacio ‘’Iggy’’ Arroyo, near the session hall of the House of Representatives.