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By Angelo S. Samonte Reporter
Malacañang said it supports the
continuation of the investigation of the P728-million fertilizer
scam and the extradition of the former Agriculture Undersecretary
Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante, who remains detained
in a US prison.
“Of course, the President is
open for the investigation of Jocjoc Bolante. We have nothing to
hide,” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol said
Sunday.
“The bad thing with the
opposition is that it always blames the President with Bolante’s
case, although they know that he is languishing in jail. They
[opposition members] are barking up the wrong tree. They should wait
for Bolante’s deportation before they speak,” he said.
The Office of the Ombudsman is
not sitting on the case, Apostol said. “Ombudsman Merceditas
Gutierrez is investigating it. It’s within her jurisdiction.”
The opposition has been
challenging the Ombudsman to initiate its own investigation and file
graft charges against officials in the Agriculture department and
others in local government involved in the P728-million fertilizer
scam.
The Senate, which conducted an
investigation into the fertilizer scam, offered the Ombudsman
documents and testimonial evidence gathered during its inquiry,
saying that the evidence are available to government antigraft
prosecutors for scrutiny and evaluation.
The controversial agriculture
fund was reportedly managed by Bolante, the alleged chief architect
of the fertilizer fund program and a close associate of the
President’s husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo.
The opposition claimed the Arroyo
administration allegedly diverted the fertilizer funds to ensure the
victory of President Arroyo in the May 2004 elections.
Documents from the Commission on
Audit showed that more than 100 House of Representatives members, 53
governors and 26 town mayors received between P3 million and P10
million each in fertilizer funds from the Agriculture department
shortly before the May 2004 elections.
The opposition has been pressing
Gutierrez to file a case against Bolante so that an extradition
proceeding could proceed. The absence of a case filed against him in
a Philippine court will make his deportation impossible.
Bolante has been in detention at
a California jail since July 2006, when he arrived in Los Angeles
from South Korea after his US tourist visa had been cancelled.
A Wisconsin court dismissed
Bolante’s petition for bail for “lack of subject matter
jurisdiction.” 
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