Rodolfo ‘’Jun’’ Lozada and Jose ‘’Joey’’ de Venecia III could be as free as a bird and not sulking right now had Congress passed two important measures that would have empowered the Legislative branch to craft its own witness protection program.

This was the lament of opposition Sen. Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero on the fate of Lozada and De Venecia and others who came forward to disclose what they knew of wrongdoing in the government because Congress has no witness protection program of its own.

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Richard J. Gordon issued a report on its two-year probe on the controversial $326 million ZTE national broadband network contract and recommended that the two “whistleblowers” and several others, including First Gentleman Jose Miguel ‘’Mike’’ Arroyo, should face criminal prosecution.

Escudero pushed for the approval of the two bills that would empower both the Legislative branch to also set up a reward system for whistleblowers of graft and corruption in government.

“Jun Lozada and Joey de Venecia would have benefited from these proposals if they had been passed and signed into law. These are meant to encourage those who have witnessed crimes, especially graft and corruption in government, to come forward and testify against perpetrators,” said the 40-year-old lawmaker who chairs the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Escudero said that his committee has approved the bills on the protection, security and benefits of whistleblowers and amendments to the Witness Protection and Benefits Act to allow the Senate and the House of Representatives to have its own witness protection program.

He said the current law on witness protection only empowers the Department of Justice to manage the program and the amendment seeks to allow both houses of Congress to promulgate their own for witnesses or resource persons in congressional investigations in aid of legislation.

“However, as in the cases of Lozada, Sandra Cam, Michaelangelo Zuce and many others who have come forward and disclosed what they knew of wrongdoing in the government, Congress remains powerless to provide them protection,” he said.

Under the proposed law, the Senate or House could promulgate its own rules in implementing their respective Witness Protection, Security and Benefits Program for qualified witnesses.

The other measure, the proposed Whistleblowers Act, sets up a reward system for those who will step forward and expose graft and corruption in government.

The reward ranges from P50,000 to P5 million, depending on the salary grade of the official involved, which is from SG 1 to 33.

Also, whistleblowers could come from the public and private sectors for as long as their disclosure proves necessary in the prosecution of the criminal offense of graft and corruption, he said.