Suspect in fertillizer scam to leave hospital to testify: Philippines

The Senate better make sure that Joc Joc does not slip away on them before he ever testifies this Thursday before the senate. Joc Joc seems a slippery fellow who could slither off into hiding somewhere again with a little help from his friends!


‘Joc Joc’ can leavehospital, say docs

Appearance before panel set Thursday
FORMER agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc Joc" Bolante will come face to face with senators on Thursday after his doctors said he is fit to be discharged from the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.
While he could be summoned to appear today, Senate majority leader Francis Pangilinan said the Senate granted Bolante’s request that he be given more time to stay in the hospital, citing his physician’s advice.
The request was contained in a letter faxed to the Senate dated Nov. 10, addressed to Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Edgardo Angara.
A copy of the letter was also sent to Senate President Manuel Villar.
Pangilinan said the letter was verified and confirmed by the lawyer of Bolante and by the office of the Senate President.
He said Bolante executed the letter in the presence of the lawyer.
Bolante is being accused as the mastermind of the P728 million fertilizer scandal, where funds allocated for the government’s fertilizer program for poor farmers were allegedly diverted to President Arroyo’s campaign kitty in the 2004 elections.
The Senate committee on rules maintained that the arrest order issued by the previous Congress remains valid.
"A new warrant (against Bolante) is not necessary," Pangilinan said.
"The consensus in the committee is to continue with the investigation of the Bolante case. The Blue Ribbon will take cognizance of the issue and proceed with the investigation," Pangilinan said.
The rules panel acted on Senate Resolution 637 filed by Sen. Mar Roxas, inquiring on the status of the arrest order against Bolante and Resolution 702 calling for the reopening of the fertilizer fund probe.
Roxas said his two resolutions will allow the Senate to tackle the issue immediately, once approved by the plenary.
Pangilinan noted the Senate’s agriculture and food committee report submitted during the 13th Congress that the probe will not end until Bolante "reveals the truth behind the fertilizer scam."
Six of the nine members of the rules panel attended the closed-door meeting, namely Pangilinan, Panfilo Lacson, Juan Ponce Enrile, Francis Escudero, Roxas and Loren Legarda.
Pangilinan said the contempt citation and the order of arrest against Bolante were made and issued by the Senate, itself being a continuing body, by a majority of 21 members.
"Co-extensive with the legislative branch’s power to investigate is the power to compel the attendance of witnesses in investigations and to commit for contempt for their refusal to testify. The warrant of arrest against him, therefore, remains enforced as he continues to defy facing the Senate investigation," he added.
"Bolante will remain under Senate custody until he reveals to the public the truth behind the fertilizer scam," Pangilinan said.
Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said Bolante should be jailed in the New Bilibid Prisons in if he continues to defy the Senate.
"That is the way we should handle witnesses who obfuscate issues and try to evade the processes of the Senate," he said.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Bolante also has to explain the P1.1 billion more from the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program that was discovered by the Senate during its investigation on the scam.
"So more funds wasted and probably more names will come out. Kaya lalo pang dapat si Bolante pumunta rito para ipaliwanag niya what is this all about," Lacson said.
He said the Senate wants to find out if Bolante was really the "architect" of the scam or he acted on orders of "higher-ups."
He said that based on Special Allotment Release Order by then Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin, the Agriculture department released P728 million on February 3, 2004 and another SARO for P1.1 billion was issued a week later.
The House committee on agriculture has tentatively scheduled a hearing on the fertilizer fund scam today.
"We know the Senate has already conducted an investigation through the Blue Ribbon committee even if it’s the same, we think the House should conduct its own inquiry," said panel chair Rep. Kahlil Abraham Mitra (NPC, Palawan), author of Resolution 848. – Dennis Gadil, JP Lopez, and Wendell Vigilia