Lorenzo now included in fertilizer fund probe

The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday said it has included former Agriculture Secretary Luis "Cito" Lorenzo Jr. on the list of people being investigated for the P728-million fertilizer fund scam. Assistant Ombudsman Jose de Jesus Jr. said the former Agriculture official will be summoned after he was included as a respondent in the supplemental complaint filed on Friday by the Ombudsman's Field Investigation Office (FIO) before the Preliminary Investigation Administrative Adjudication and Monitoring Office (PAMO). Lorenzo and former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante were charged with Malversation of Public Funds or Property and for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act 3019. Apart from the two, other regional directors of the Agriculture department were likewise charged for supposedly taking orders from Bolante and for supposedly favoring fertilizer suppliers. "Lorenzo was charged for allegedly giving Bolante a free hand in the disposition of the funds," De Jesus said. "On the other hand, Bolante was charged for having prepared a list of proponents; however the farming zones where the funds should be allocated were not followed," he added. Lorenzo, who has already expressed willingness to testify in the case, was given 10 days to submit a counter-affidavit. The FIO's Task Force Abono will continue with its nationwide fact-finding investigation to identify other personalities who could be involved in the controversy where government funds meant for buying fertilizers were used to bankroll the campaign of the Arroyo administration candidates in the 2004 national elections Earlier complaint The Ombudsman's special panel handling the fertilizer fund case was almost done with its preliminary investigation when the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon submitted a report on the case in February 2009. "The Senate findings report material to its own investigation, thus, the preliminary investigation on the initial complaint was suspended," he said. But de Jesus clarified that the Senate report did not delay their own investigation, and even helped the special panel to draft the supplemental complaint, that already included Lorenzo as a respondent. In its earlier complaint that still did not include Lorenzo, the FIO charged Bolante and Ibarra Poliquit with Technical Malversation and Violation of Sec 3(e) of Republic Act 3019. Poliquit was also charged with dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. Arroyo link? De Jesus was quoted in a separate report on QTV's Balitanghali as saying they have yet to find evidence linking Arroyo to the mess. But in a separate dzBB interview, former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. said Mrs. Arroyo could not avoid questions about the controversy because she was "directly accountable." "[Pero] hindi ko sinasabing guilty siya o hindi (but I'm not sayign she is guilty or not)," Magsaysay added. The former senator recommended the filing of plunder charges against Lorenzo and other agriculture department official in 2006, noting that he was he was convinced anomalies riddled the disbursement of fertilizer funds in 2004. "Very strong ang evidence na ang dating officials of the Department of Agriculture including Bolante, Cito Lorenzo, and three others including Poliquit ay may ginawang himala noong February to May 2004," he said. On the other hand, De Jesus said there is a possibility that Lorenzo could get "immunity" from the charges if there was a higher authority behind the supposed irregularity. Lorenzo "escaped" a Senate inquiry on controversy after he left the country in October 2005. Recently, however, Lorenzo returned and expressed willingness to spill the beans on the multi-million peso controversy. But he still maintained he is innocent, saying he left the country not to avoid the Senate inquiry but to spend time with his family. “Money never passed through me, and I was never involved… I really wanted to serve. Unfortunately, the dynamics just did not agree with my interest to serve in a very sincere and genuine way," he said in an interview last Wednesday. But lawyer and University of the Philippines professor Harry Roque believes that with Bolante insisting on keeping mum on the issue, Lorenzo will be a potential whistleblower who can pin down former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. "Ang gaya ni Cito Lorenzo na naging kalihim at alter ego ng presidente ang puwedeng mag-diin kay Arroyo dito sa scam na ito. Kaya ako nagagalit ay loyal pa rin siya kay Arroyo at ngayon bumubulung-bulong kay Presidente [Benigno] Aquino [III]," Roque said in an interview on Unang Hirit Thursday. — LBG/RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV