THE Senate and Malacañang are in collision course as former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante arrives at 11 tonight from the US where he was detained for two years for an immigration offense.
Senate President Manuel Villar ordered yesterday Gen. Jose Balajadia Jr., the Senate sergeant-at-arms, to implement the warrant of arrest the Senate issued in December 2005 against Bolante, the alleged mastermind in the multi-million-peso fertilizer fund scam.
“They have a specific instruction to arrest Bolante on sight and bring him to the Senate,” Villar said.
But Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, also yesterday, ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Immigration to secure Bolante during his arrival and process his arrival papers, a requirement for returning Filipinos deported from abroad.
“You are to receive Mr. Bolante only for processing purposes after which he should be released to his lawyer, family or whoever is interested in him,” Gonzalez told NBI Director Nestor Mantaring and Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan.
In a press statement, Villar said the arrest order that he signed as then vice chairman of the Senate Agriculture committee is still valid.
Not valid
But Gonzalez said there is no reason to hold Bolante upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport considering that he is a free man facing no charges.
Citing a Supreme Court decision, Gonzalez argued that the arrest warrant issued by the Senate of the 13th Congress already expired and is therefore not valid for implementation or binding in the Senate of the present 14th Congress.
Villar said arguments like the one raised by Gonzalez would result in an absurd situation wherein a person held in contempt or is issued a warrant of arrest would just ignore and evade the Senate order until the adjournment of the session.
The Senate issued the warrant after Bolante failed to attend the public hearings of two Senate committees on the fertilizer fund scam.
The scam refers to the P728 million allocated for poor farmers but were allegedly diverted to the 2004 presidential campaign kitty of President Arroyo.
Processing
Gonzalez, in a memorandum, directed Mantaring and Libanan not to allow other persons except those from NBI and Immigration and the Senate sergeant-at-arms from participating in all procedures involving Bolante’s arrival.
To allay any suspicion, Gonzalez also ordered Mantaring and Libanan to invite media people covering Bolante’s arrival to witness his processing, which includes fingerprinting and other identification measures.
“(You should) conduct the process right in the airport with full transparency in order to show that there is no brainwashing or coaching to influence his statements,” he said.
Non-event
In Malacañang, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza dismissed Bolante’s return to the Philippines as a non-event.
He wondered why some people are interested in Bolante’s arrival when they should be giving more “attention to our efforts for more investments, taking care of global issues.”
When asked if President Arroyo would be briefed about Bolante’s arrival upon the President’s return from China, Dureza said the issue is “not in our radar screen.” (Sunnex/GMANews.TV)
