Senate seeks plunder charges vs Joc-Joc Bolante, 8 others

(Updated 5:02 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - A Senate panel has recommended the filing of plunder charges against nine people, including former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante, in connection with the multi-million fertilizer fund scam. The blue ribbon committee however cleared President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of involvement in the alleged diversion of some P728 million worth of fertilizer funds intended for poor farmers to her campaign kitty in the 2004 elections. Aside from Bolante, the alleged architect and implementor of the fertilizer fund scam, the panel also recommended filing plunder charges against the following; * Belinda Gonzales, Agriculture Undersecretary for Finance; * Ibarra Poliquit, former DA Assistant Secretary and Bolante's chief of staff; * Leonicia Marco Llarena, owner of Dane Publishing House, alleged financier; * Julie Gregorio and Redentor Antolin, president and vice president, respectively of Feshan Philippines, the company that cornered most of the contracts in the alleged scam; * Marilyn Araos; alleged sole signatory in the Landbank account of Feshan Philippines; * Maritess Aytona, alleged runner of Bolante; and * Jaime Paule, an alleged Malacañang liaison Charges of technical malversation, money laundering and false testimony were also recommended to be filed against Bolante. Poliquit was also recommended be charged with technical malversation; Llarena, money laundering and false testimony/ perjury; Gregorio, money laundering, tax evasion and disobedience to summons; Antolin, money laundering; Araos, money laundering; Aytona money laundering, tax evasion, false testimony/perjury, disobedience to summons; Paule money laundering, false testimony; Gonzales, technical malversation and Joselito Flordeliza, president of the foundation used in the scam, money laundering. Explain As this developed, Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the blue ribbon committee, asked President Arroyo to explain her failure to act on the fertilizer fund scam. In a press conference following the release of the committee report, Gordon said that although the inquiry on the matter yielded no evidence directly linking the President to the scam, she somehow encouraged it because of her inaction. "Since there was no reprobation or disapproval coming from President Arroyo regarding their actions, it can easily be inferred that the President acquiesced to such acts," Gordon said as he read a part of the executive summary of the committee report. "Does anyone really believe that Bolante et al would have been able to to malverse such a gargantuan amount and continue to evade all sorts of liability without the acquiescence of Malacañang," the executive summary further read. Gordon said President Arroyo is liable under the "Doctrine of Qualified Political Agency" that provides that all executive and administrative organizations are adjuncts of the executive department, which the President heads. He further said that the President's knowledge of the fertilizer scam had, in fact, been alluded to by former Budget secretary Emilia Boncodin in her testimony during the 13th Congress. Inaction The committee report also scored former Agriculture Secretary Luisito Lorenzo and even called for the resignation of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for their alleged inaction on the fertilizer fund issue. Aside from them, the report also scored also the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for not monitoring and conducting investigation on the scam. The committee also recommended amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Procurement Act, Bank Secrecy Act and Senate Rules of Procedure on Direct Contempt. It also suggested standard provision to be added to the General Appropriation Act every year. - GMANews.TV