Tuesday, November 04, 2008 CBCP pursues Bolante issue
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is keeping an eye on the development of the controversial fertilizer fund scam as the Senate is looking to conduct a probe on the issue.
CBCP Public Affairs Committee head Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez said it's not only them who are waiting for the conclusion of the P728-million fertilizer fund controversy but also the public.
At the same time, the Caloocan prelate warned those who are planning to delay the investigation, noting that they will not allow such thing to happen.
"The public had been waiting long enough to have a closure on the three-year-old case and that any attempt to stop it will be unacceptable," he said.
The CBCP official said this is the right time to unravel what has been left hanging and to put an end on the issue since the primary personality involved in the controversy is back in the country.
Late October, former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante came home from the US, where he sought refuge in 2005 until he was arrested by US operatives a year after.
Over the weekend, the Senate Blue Ribbon committee announced that they will conduct an investigation but has yet to schedule the hearing.
Senator Edgardo Angara, Senate Agriculture committee chairman said they will be joining the probe despite his earlier claim that there is no need for a Senate probe since they have already filed recommendations at the Office of the Ombudsman.
However, Iñiguez refused to assume that the senator's participation on the investigation is the way of the government to prolong the three-year old case.
"For us this issue should have should be proper closure, meaning, there will be someone acquitted and found guilty for this case, in a truthful way, of course," Iñiguez said.
Bolante is still confined at the St. Luke's Medical Center, where he was immediately taken after his arrival from the US last week. (FP/Sunnex)
