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Friday, November 14, 2008
Camotes got P5M, says Durano
CEBU CITY -- Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano on Thursday washed his hands of any involvement in the P728-million fertilizer fund “scam” allegedly engineered by former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante.
Durano, a former congressman, said it was the Department of Agriculture’s central office that called his office and asked for a list of possible recipients of “agricultural assistance.”
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At least P5 million went to Durano’s district, according to a 2004 Department of Budget and Management list published Thursday by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
After two weeks in the hospital, Bolante left the St. Luke’s Medical Center early Thursday morning to face a Senate inquiry into the P728-million deal.
He testified that President Arroyo was never involved with the funds, which she is accused of dipping into to finance her 2004 election campaign.
Bolante said the fertilizer fund was part of the regular budget and did not need President Arroyo’s approval to be disbursed.
Meanwhile, in an interview with radio dyLA, Durano said his office never handled the cash and that he only recommended several towns in Camotes Island, particularly Poro, as beneficiaries.
The former congressman of Cebu Province’s fifth district said he would not have availed himself of the program if he had known how controversial it would become.
Durano said he was surprised when government auditors, in a report released in 2005, declared as “irregular, unreasonable and exorbitant” Poro’s purchase of liquid fertilizers for P1,500 per bottle, when it could have bought the same product for P125 each.
The Commission on Audit had asked Poro’s officials to refund some P4.58 million “overpaid” for the transaction.
The allegations are part of an impeachment complaint against Arroyo filed by opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives last month. The House hasn’t acted on the complaint.
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.
Opposition Senator Manuel Roxas II called Bolante’s testimony “lies.”
“We all know that nothing moves in this government without the knowledge of the highest official of the land,” he said.
Arroyo, who was swept to power in 2001 after Joseph Estrada was ousted by a nonviolent revolt, has survived four attempted power grabs and three earlier impeachment bids that included allegations she cheated in the 2004 elections.
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.
Former government official Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr., the whistleblower in the $329-million NBN-ZTE deal, urged Bolante to “tell the truth.”
“Dumaan ako sa ganoon (I’ve gone through that). I know he can overcome the fear,” Lozada told reporters in an ambush interview.
But after two and a half hours of hearing Bolante deny allegations of anomalies in the fertilizer fund diversion, Lozada left the session hall.
“Painful to the ears, painful to the heart. This is one big tragedy. I don’t think he will ever tell the truth,” Lozada said.
Outside the Senate, supporters of Bolante like the students of Pasay City North High School and volunteers of Babae Ka brought roses for Bolante and called for “peace.”
But militant groups like Anakpawis and Anakbayan held a counter-protest also outside the Senate. (GMD/AP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (November 14, 2008 issue)
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