Ex-Filipino official: Arroyo didn’t tap gov’t fund (5:01 p.m.)
MANILA — A former Philippine agriculture official testified Thursday that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was never involved with a government fund worth millions of pesos (dollars) that she is accused of dipping into to finance her 2004 election campaign.
Arroyo and other government officials are accused of siphoning off money from a 728 million pesos ($13 million) fund purportedly created to purchase fertilizer for farmers. She has denied any wrongdoing.
Testifying at a Senate hearing, former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante said the fertilizer fund was part of the regular budget and therefore did not need Arroyo’s approval to be disbursed.
A preliminary report by two Senate committees said there were indications the fund was only set up to “suit (an) electoral purpose” and was never actually intended to buy fertilizer.
The report said Bolante was the “architect” of the program.
Bolante initially evaded the Senate investigation by fleeing in 2006 to the United States, where he unsuccessfully sought political asylum. He was deported to Manila last month. (AP)
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