Solon slams House panel for possible clearing of Bolante
05/25/2009 | 11:50 AM
MANILA, Philippines - A lawmaker on Monday condemned a House panel’s impending clearing of former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc Joc" Bolante from the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.
In a text message to reporters, Bayan Muna Representative Teodoro Casiño said the House agriculture committee better not submit its report on the findings of its investigation if it would only clear Bolante – who is alleged to have close ties with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.
"Masyadong obvious na pinoprotektahan ng House si Bolante [It’s too obvious that the House is protecting Bolante] considering that more than a hundred administration representatives benefited from that scam in 2004. We should just give this one to the Senate," Casiño lamented.
Casiño made the statement after newspaper reports earlier quoted committee chairman Abraham Kahlil Mitra as saying that the panel is poised to submit next month its committee report saying there is no evidence pointing Bolante as the one behind anomalies in the so-called scam.
Mitra said the report submitted by the Commission on Audit showed that the undersecretary had not committed any "irregularities" in the disbursement of funds intended for the purchase of fertilizer for poor farmers nationwide.
Bolante arrived in the country in October last year from the United States where he tried but failed to seek asylum in a bid to evade the Senate blue ribbon committee’s inquiry on the P728 million agriculture funds which allegedly went to President Arroyo's campaign kitty in the 2004 elections.
Bolante has denied the allegations. - Johanna Camille Sisante and Kimberly Tan, GMANews.TV
In a text message to reporters, Bayan Muna Representative Teodoro Casiño said the House agriculture committee better not submit its report on the findings of its investigation if it would only clear Bolante – who is alleged to have close ties with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.
"Masyadong obvious na pinoprotektahan ng House si Bolante [It’s too obvious that the House is protecting Bolante] considering that more than a hundred administration representatives benefited from that scam in 2004. We should just give this one to the Senate," Casiño lamented.
Casiño made the statement after newspaper reports earlier quoted committee chairman Abraham Kahlil Mitra as saying that the panel is poised to submit next month its committee report saying there is no evidence pointing Bolante as the one behind anomalies in the so-called scam.
Mitra said the report submitted by the Commission on Audit showed that the undersecretary had not committed any "irregularities" in the disbursement of funds intended for the purchase of fertilizer for poor farmers nationwide.
Bolante arrived in the country in October last year from the United States where he tried but failed to seek asylum in a bid to evade the Senate blue ribbon committee’s inquiry on the P728 million agriculture funds which allegedly went to President Arroyo's campaign kitty in the 2004 elections.
Bolante has denied the allegations. - Johanna Camille Sisante and Kimberly Tan, GMANews.TV
