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Malacañang distanced itself from the Court of Appeals order
freezing the accounts of former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn
“Joc-Joc” Bolante and several others believed to be involved in
the P728-million fertilizer fund scam in 2004.
The executive branch is leaving the issue to the
appellate court because it is a legal matter that does not involve
the Palace, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.
But Ermita said he hopes the case could be fast
tracked because although the case is already in court, the
resolution is very slow.
The case of Bolante and the others involved in
the scam dates back to 2004.
Lacking lawyers, the current witness protection
program and the tedious legal procedures delay the resolution of the
case, he said, adding that the court repeatedly postpones hearings
due to these reasons.
The Court of Appeals decided to freeze
Bolante’s account after the Anti-Money Laundering Council filed a
petition. The court ruled that the council was able to “establish
probable cause” about an unlawful activity of Bolante and his
colleagues in maintaining such accounts.
Bolante is being implicated in the fertilizer
scam for allegedly diverting the fertilizer fund to the campaign
kitty of President Gloria Arroyo in the last presidential election.
He remains in detention in a US facility for
traveling to that country with a cancelled visa. Philippine
authorities are already working for his extradition to so he can be
prosecuted before a local court.
-- Angelo S. Samonte
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