Drilon, Pimentel decry smear campaign on fertilizer fund scam

Senate President Franklin Drilon and Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. accused members of the House of Representatives yesterday of unleashing a smear campaign against senators in an effort to muddle the investigation into the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

Drilon, in a radio interview, defended anew the Senate hearings on the fertilizer scam, particularly the one being conducted by the committee on agriculture and food chaired by Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr.

Drilon noted witnesses had named some congressmen as having benefited from the funds used by the Department of Agriculture for the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) hybrid rice program in 2004.

"That is the defense of persons whose fingers were caught inside the cookie jar," he said.

It was witness Jose Barredo and other resource persons who identified the lawmakers involved in the scam, Drilon said.

Pimentel challenged congressmen who have been implicated in the anomaly to present evidence if their hands are indeed clean.

"Some of those whose names were dragged into the scandal have dared their accusers to charge them in court," he said.

"If it can really be proven that they asked (for) and received commissions from the release of the fertilizer money, that is a criminal offense for which they should be penalized."

Pimentel said it was unfair to say that inter-chamber courtesy is being violated by the Senate just because damaging information against certain lawmakers surfaced in the course of the testimonies of witnesses and resource persons during the Senate inquiry.

Pimentel said senators have no other motive behind the investigation of the fertilizer fund scam but to unearth the truth.

Lawmakers will not be contributing to the quest for truth if they try to cover up the anomaly through "squid tactics," Pimentel said.

Records from the Commission on Audit showed that more than 100 lawmakers, 53 provincial governors and 26 town mayors received between P3 million and P10 million each in fertilizer funds from the DA shortly before the May 10, 2004 elections.

DA officials said the release of the fertilizer funds was controlled and managed by then agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante.

The political opposition charges that the funds were diverted to ensure the victory of President Arroyo.

Pimentel dared lawmakers and local chief executives linked to the scandal to disprove the allegation, particularly that of Barredo, that they received a commission of not less than 30 percent and that they purchased fertilizer that was grossly overpriced.

Barredo served as a "broker" between the supplier of liquid fertilizer, Fesham Philippines Inc., and the lawmakers and local officials.

COA officials told the Senate hearings that the fertilizer used in the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program was overpriced by at least P127 million.

The COA and the Office of the Ombudsman should pursue the investigation, charge the culprits with graft and prosecute them, Pimentel said.