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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Bolante denies knowledge on 30% cut
MANILA -- Former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante denied Tuesday any knowledge on the 30 percent commission on the P5-million fertilizer fund allocation for Capiz.
Capiz Representative Antonio del Rosario said he was mayor of Roxas City in 2004 when he was approached by Jose Barredo, who claimed to be Bolante's agent and offered a 30 percent cut on the P5 million fertilizer fund allocated for his city.
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"I was told, another 30 percent was going to you (Bolante) and only 40 percent will be used to buy fertilizer. Your agent was insisting that we buy liquid fertilizer, that's why we did not reach an agreement," del Rosario said.
But Bolante during Tuesday's House hearing on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam said he did not keep part of the funds for himself.
Del Rosario said he turned down the offer of Barredo because farmers in his province only need urea for rice and not a liquid or foliar fertilizer.
Bolante, however, denied any connection to Barredo and threatened to bring the matter to the court if the latter insists on using his name.
"Whoever approached you, that is between you and them, we have nothing to do with that," Bolante said.
He also said it was "impossible" for del Rosario to be offered money because the congressman made no request for a fertilizer fund.
Del Rosario, however, asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to account for the fertilizer fund released for his province to prove his claim.
Bolante, after facing senators last Thursday, has finally appeared in the House to shed light on the fertilizer fund mess.
Bolante was accused of diverting the fertilizer fund to the 2004 campaign kitty of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
He repeated his earlier statement before the Senate in clearing the President of any involvement in the issue. "I did not seek the approval of Her Excellency (Arroyo) for the release of the said funds."
Bolante clears Arroyo, drags Yap
During the Senate hearing last week, Bolante dragged Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap in the mess, saying it was Yap who had control over the implementation of the fertilizer fund.
But in the House hearing on Tuesday, Bolante said Yap was not responsible for the fund implementation. He instead held the media responsible for producing such claims.
Yap likewise attended the House probe as a resource speaker.
Scam does no exist
Also during Tuesday's House hearing, Bolante told lawmakers, "there is no fertilizer fund scam."
He reiterated that the funds supposedly for farm inputs were properly accounted for based on the report released by COA.
He said: "Not a single centavo of the P728-million fertilizer fund went to the pockets of the 105 congressmen and congresswomen, 49 provincial governors, and 26 mayors listed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as 'proponents' of the money."
The fund, according to Bolante, was released to the project implementers upon the advice of the project proponents. "The fund, in issue, is not a fund solely for fertilizer, but rather, it is a fund for farm inputs and farm implements."
He added that he, his superiors, and members of the House implicated in the scam were simply "victims of lies and misinformation."
Proponents
Lawmakers identified to have availed the fertilizer fund also used the hearing to clear their names in the fund mess.
Majority Leader Arthur Defensor (Iloilo) and Representatives Victor Ortega (La Union) and Monico Puentevella (Bacolod City) all declared they did not benefit in any way from the fertilizer fund.
Defensor said his name was on the list but he did not receive any fertilizer or any sort of funding, adding that he did not take part in any bidding.
Representative Milagros Magsaysay (Zambales) spoke in behalf of her father-in-law, former Zambales governor Vicente Magsaysay, who she said never released or received any money from the said disbursement.
Ortega added that his brother, former La Union congressman Manuel Ortega, also wanted him to make public his objections to having his name dragged in the investigation.
Former Lanao del Norte congressman Alipio Badelles also sent a letter to the agriculture committee asserting that he did not receive any money or fertilizer from the agriculture department.
Earlier, Bolante sought for the objectivity of the House, saying "it is my duty to speak the truth... to tell the world what is true and false" and that he trusts that the House would hold an unbiased probe.
To those who had already "pre-judged" him, he said: "Please, do not impose upon me your interpretation of the truth that has been fed in your mind. If I am to say only those things you want to hear, then you're asking me to lie."
But Gabriela party-list Representative Liza Maza directly accused Bolante of lying under oath and said he is not fooling the Filipino public who has been closely observing all investigations into the fertilizer fund scam from the start.
Camiguin Representative Pedro Romualdo, however, objected to her line of questioning, saying the tone of interpellation was "demeaning" to Bolante who was invited by the panel as a resource person. (WV/JLCP/Sunnex) For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (November 19, 2008 issue)
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