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Sen. Edgardo Angara expressed opposition Thursday to
the revival of the Senate probe of the P728-million fertilizer scam
involving former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc”
Bolante.
Angara, the chairman of the
Senate Committee on Agriculture, said that his predecessor in the
committee, former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., did a “splendid and
thorough” job investigating the fertilizer scam.
“He endorsed his findings to
the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman, he asked the US Embassy
to cancel Bolante’s visa, he asked the Bureau of Immigration to
place him in its watch list. The Senate should now move on and
tackle other more immediate concerns,” he said.
Some senators earlier said they
might file a resolution to revive the fertilizer scam probe after
the United States rejected Bolante’s application for political
asylum.
Angara said that insofar as the
Senate is concerned, the Bolante probe was closed with the
submission of the Magsaysay report.
“It is now the turn of the
administration to move, and it is also answerable to the people,”
he said.
He explained that the Philippines
is not a parliamentary government where there is a mingling of
legislative and executive functions.
He added that it would not even
be necessary for the Senate or the government to request the US to
extradite Bolante to the Philippines.
“That is useless because the
United States is going to deport Bolante anyway,” he said.
The Senate report issued in the
13th Congress called for the prosecution of Bolante for alleged
plunder after the misuse of the P728-million fertilizer fund. It has
been claimed that the fund, intended to help farmers, was used
instead for political purposes in the 2004 elections. Bolante had
never appeared before the Senate panel and fled to the US when
Magsaysay recommended his prosecution.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez
debunked speculations that Bolante’s eventual deportation would
lead to the collapse of the Arroyo government.
“I don’t think he’s a
threat to the Palace,” Gonzalez pointed out.
Gonzalez said he foresees the
eventual deportation of Bolante to the Philippines as it is unlikely
that he will be given reprieve by US authorities.
--Efren L. Danao with William B. Depasupil
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