The head of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of Women in the Philippines (AMRSWP) has praised the attention Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima gave her and a whistleblower at their meeting today.

“The secretary listened and promised to help Jun (Rodolfo Lozada Jr.) and other cases we brought to her attention,” Benedictine Sister Mary John Mananzan told ucanews.com after the meeting at the Department of Justice.

She said De Lima “acknowledged it is government agencies that are often the cause of harassment of whistleblowers.”

Sister Mananzan sought the meeting with De Lima to discuss the situation of Lozada who has been under the protection of the AMRSWP’s Sanctuary program when he alleged during Senate hearings that politicians and government officials were involved in a government project overpriced to include payment for kickbacks.

Lozada lost his government post, left his home and has been under the care of the AMRSWP for his and his family’s protection.

Sister Mananazan said Lozada appealed to De Lima for better government protection.

Lozada has had private security guards protecting him and his family, paid for by the AMRSWP. He has also had to contract lawyers for the 16 cases filed against him by different groups, including those he had implicated in his testimonies.

De Lima reportedly promised she would “look into the case” and told Lozada to write her a letter to formalize his request for security and that she would provide it.

“She also promised to have Department of Justice lawyers look into cases he is facing, particularly to get all nuisance cases dismissed,” Sister Mananzan said.

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