Solon says Arroyo brains behind fertilizer fund scam

MANILA, Philippines – Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano on Monday said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the brains behind the P728 million fertilizer fund mess where money allocated for farmers were purportedly diverted to her campaign kitty in 2004. During the House committee on Justice's hearing on the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo, Mariano added the President used her political machinery so that she and her allies will benefit from the Agriculture department’s (DA) funds. “Malianaw po sa simula’t simulang layunin na ang nasabing pondo ay…. para pataasin at palakasin ang tiyansa ng kandidatura ni Pangulong Arroyo noong May 2004 elections (The ultimate goal of the fund is to boost the President’s chances in winning the May 2004 elections)," Mariano said. “Siya ang utak mismo, ang pasimuno [simula’t] sapul. Ito’y bahagi ng kanyang mas malaking skema sangkot ang makinarya…na nasa kanyang kamay bilang Pangulo (She is the brains behind this grand scheme where she used her machinery as the President)," Mariano added. Mariano said the President committed an impeachable offense for her involvement in the multi-million peso mess. Mariano then outlined some of the Senate’s findings in 2005 on the multimillion-peso controversy to establish irregularities in the controversial fertilizer fund program. These include: * On Feb. 3, 2004, the Department of Budget and Management issued a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to P728 million for the DA’s Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) rice and corn maintenance and operating expenses for farmers. * The release was made a week ahead of the 90-day campaign period for the Presidential elections. * According to former solicitor general Frank Chavez, the funds were “infused into the political kitty" of the President. * No one from the farmer beneficiaries of the fertilizer fund program received fertilizers. During the Senate inquiry into the mess in 2005, not a single farmer showed up to claim he benefited from the project. * The fertilizers were purchased were from three suppliers who were set up before the bidding. * The fertilizer funds were distributed to local government officers or proponents whose areas were not agriculture in nature. The House agriculture and food committee is doing a separate probe on the fertilizer fund mess. - GMANews.TV