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Saturday, November 15, 2008
House warns Bolante vs possible arrest
MANILA -- Members of the House of Representatives have warned former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante not to snub their next hearing on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam or face arrest.
House agriculture committee chairman Kahlil Abraham Mitra said they would order the arrest of Bolante if he would continue to snub their next hearing, which is scheduled on Tuesday.
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"It’s all systems go for our hearing on Tuesday. Bolante better not snub us this time because our leniency might give way to exercise our powers to compel his attendance," said Mitra.
Bolante, the alleged architect of the fertilizer fund scam, was a no-show in the House investigation into the issue last Wednesday. He had already advised the House to seek the Senate's approval first before attending the inquiry as he is still under its custody.
Like Bolante, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Undersecretary for Finance Belinda Gonzales, and Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya did not also attend last Wednesday's hearing.
According to Mitra, they are expecting Bolante's attendance on Tuesday because he has no more alibis left to snub their invitation after attending the Senate hearing last Thursday.
He said that members of the House will be more resourceful in dealing with Bolante when he faces their probe, adding that they might have additional documents for him (Bolante) to confirm.
Majority Floor Leader Arthur Defensor, for his part, said the House will formally inform the Senate about its invitation to Bolante to face Tuesday's inquiry.
Bolante, during the Senate hearing Thursday, presented a list of at least 103 congressmen who alleged received the money.
Mitra said the hearing will give congressmen mentioned in the alleged list of recipients "to confirm or deny their district's acceptance of the fertilizers."
"This face-off will bring out truth and clear the air," Mitra said.
Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is neither affected nor concerned with the developments in the Senate, including Bolante's clearing of her name of any involvement in the fertilizer scam.
Bolante said Thursday that the President had nothing to do with the release of the fertilizer fund.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said while Arroyo may have received some information about the investigations in the Senate one way or the other, "you know the President she's really focus on our programs."
Arroyo, who arrived Friday afternoon after attending the 63rd United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, flew to Iligan City to visit her mother's ancestral home and inspect a P10-million farm-to-market road project in Nunungan, Lanao del Norte.
Fajardo said it is, however, only normal that some administration critics and opposition leaders felt disappointment with the testimony of Bolante, especially if they had a preconceived idea or expectation even before the Senate reinvestigation started.
She added that it is up to the senators if they want to continue with the investigations, but she hopes they would stick to their goal of finding out the truth.
"The Senate is a co-equal branch or government and we're confident that they (senators) know what they're doing," she said. (WV/JMR/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (November 15, 2008 issue)
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