Bolante hits Senate, denies hiding

Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante slipped back into the country yesterday morning and accused the Senate of conducting an inquiry "in aid of prosecution" with its probe of the fertilizer fund controversy.

Bolante, at the center of allegations that President Arroyo diverted state funds to her election campaign last year, denied going into hiding to avoid the Senate inquiry.

He, along with former agriculture secretary Luis Lorenzo, left for the United States on Oct. 26 just as the Senate was beginning its probe.

Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., chairman of Senate committee on food and agriculture which is conducting the probe, questioned Bolante’s flight out of the country, saying it was "an implicit admission of guilt."

Over P700 million intended for the purchase of fertilizer under a government agricultural development program allegedly went to Mrs. Arroyo’s campaign war chest.

After a long silence, Bolante cried foul over what he described as trial by publicity before the Senate, saying the inquiry "will not be in aid of legislation but possibly in aid of prosecution."

Magsaysay’s committee has suspended its hearings for the holidays and will resume in January. He has requested the Bureau of Immigration to put Bolante on its hold-departure list to prevent him from leaving the country again.

Bolante hinted that he may ignore the inquiry although his lawyer earlier said he will try to convince Bolante to air his side.

"It is also not fair for me to attend the Senate hearing when it has been reported by media that I am the alleged architect of the alleged fertilizer scam and, therefore, I will be appearing therein as an accused rather than as a resource person," he said in an e-mail to The STAR.

"I believe that it is much more fair for me to address the issues on allegations regarding anomalies in the implementation of the "Ginintuang Masaganang Ani" program of the DA in the proper forum, which is the courts of justice, and to refrain altogether from being subjected to unnecessary humiliation and persecution by the media."

He vehemently denied allegations that he went into hiding to escape questions about his alleged role in the reported scam.

"The truth is that I am not in hiding. I have no reason to hide. I have not been charged in any court of the Republic of the Philippines for any criminal offense nor has a warrant of arrest been issued against me."

Once charges have been filed, Bolante said he would be "only be too happy to defend myself in the proper forum."

"The truth is that I am not under prosecution nor am I an accused. The Senate is not the venue for prosecution. I have not been charged in any court of justice in the Philippines or elsewhere."

Bolante claimed that he failed to attend the Senate inquiry because of his busy schedule as an officer of Rotary Club International, adding that "my exercise of my rights will not at all impede the ongoing Senate hearings."

He maintained that the necessary data needed by the Senate on the fund can be provided by the Department of Agriculture, "not by me."

The Senate issued a summons for Bolante to appear on Oct. 21. Bolante, who resigned from the agriculture department in July last year, cited his travel requirement as officer of the Rotary as a reason for declining the invitation.

"In other words, my frequent travel to foreign countries is not an alibi for me to avoid the Senate hearing. Long before the Senate hearing was even thought of, my travel commitments had already been fixed," Bolante said.

Bolante insisted no agriculture department funds were misused.

"The DA has all the records on the projects being investigated. The DA has officially acknowledged the regularity of the projects and that all the funds... are fully accounted for. The DA, therefore, can provide all the necessary information that the Senate may need in aid of legislation," he said. — With Christina Mendez