Jocjoc Bolante not a Nacionalista Party member

The Nacionalista Party on Monday reiterated that a former agriculture official allegedly involved in a P728 million fertilizer fund scam is not their member, even if his partymates have expressed support for the party. Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn ‘Jocjoc’ Bolante "is not part of NP," party spokesperson and senatorial bet Gilbert Remulla said, replying to a question of a reporter during a press conference in Pasay City. There were also reports that the Ampatuans were members of NP, which the party denied. Bolante is running for governor in Capiz, hometown of Liberal Party vice presidential bet Senator Manuel Roxas II, under Ugyon Kita Capiz (Unite Capiz). He will be running against reelectionist Governor Victor Tanco Sr. of Liberal Party. Bolante was implicated by the Senate in 2006 as deeply involved in the diversion of some P728 million in so-called fertilizer funds that were supposed to benefit poor farmers but went instead to local government officials and from there, many suspect, to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's campaign kitty in the 2004 presidential elections. The former agriculture official fled to the US to avoid the Senate hearings on the fertilizer fund scam. However, after failing to secure asylum in the US, he was deported to the Philippines in October 2008 and placed by the Senate under hospital arrest. Bolante’s partymates, on the other hand, have expressed support to the entire ticket of NP. [See: Bolante's partymates support Villar-Legarda tandem] Among the members of Ugyon are Roxas City Mayor Vicente Bermejo, Sapian Mayor Turic Orozco and Capiz councilor Monchit Acuna Alvar. They were among the 17 former members of LP who decided to form their own political party. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV