Crew members of the Bloggers Kapihan today sat down with Senate star witness Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada at the comfy lounge of the La Salle Greenhills‘ Brothers’ House. Attendance: JM, Sarah, Mong, Jhay and me.

Lozada was relaxed and comfortable during our two-hour sit-down with him. He spoke intensely about the important role of young people in finding out the truth, and small and big things that have happened since he dared spoke out the truth and was –to his surprise — proclaimed a hero for doing so.

Young people, said Lozada, should step up and stake their claim the truth. He said that like political freedom, truth is not simply handed down to us. We must ask for it. We must fight for it.

Lozada said that he intends to hit the ground running at the start of the new school year; forums are now being organized in scores of schools.

My impression is that Lozada has practically launched his own movement for truth. His call is for the people to abandon the ideology of hopelessness and selfishness that is being spread by the status quo, and lay claim and build the bright future we all aspire for. His aversion to talk about any plan to run for public office sounded sincere, and stressed by way of example, that he merely wants the young people to discover that they may — or should — act and be the leaders themselves. He said he was so happy one time when he saw shirts printed with this question: “Sino ang ipapalit?” and right there on the same shirt was the answer “ako!”

Lozada was not alluding to himself. He was just saying that young people should lead the movement for change.

Below are more pictures I took during the talk: