Palace: Findings based on inference, not evidence

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang welcomed yesterday the findings of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on the fertilizer fund scam but claimed they were “based on inference, not evidence.”

“The President (Arroyo) cannot be made responsible for something she has no involvement and no knowledge of,” presidential deputy spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the Senate findings were expected.

“That the book – all conceivable charges – has been thrown at him was to be expected,” Remonde said, referring to former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante.

Remonde said the possible filing of a plunder case against Bolante should be another chance for him to air his side.

“As to the inclusion of the President in the sweep of such a broad report on the grounds of ‘omission’ in the same breath that she had been excluded from all the allegations, this smacks of the same smear politics that have been piled on the President and this presidency,” Remonde said.

Gutierrez clings to job

Meanwhile, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, through Assistant Ombudsman Jose de Jesus Jr., again rejected calls for her to resign.

“The Ombudsman is not going to resign because Sen. (Richard) Gordon’s call has no basis, is unfair and unjust because she had acted on the fertilizer fund case,” De Jesus said in a statement.

“Be it remembered that the present Ombudsman only inherited this case from her predecessor who did not act on the report based on the Senate investigation,” he said.

“But as soon as she stepped into office, she immediately formed a panel to conduct a thorough and complete investigation,” he said.

“Out of this fact-finding probe, the Field Investigation Office had in fact filed initial cases against the public officials involved in the anomaly, headed by Undersecretary Bolante and other officials,” he explained.

The Ombudsman, De Jesus noted, also formed a panel to conduct a preliminary investigation and gave it 90 days within which to finish its investigation and submit a report to her.

He said the panel met the deadline on Jan. 30, 2009 and the draft resolution has already been forwarded to Gutierrez for review and final action.

“We are expecting the Ombudsman to finish her review, approve and release the resolution this March,” De Jesus said.

“I repeat, there is no reason for the Ombudsman to resign because she is actually doing her job. A little known fact is that there are many people asking her to stay on as Ombudsman and be firm, but they are not publicity-seekers or have any ax to grind against her,” De Jesus said. – With Michael Punongbayan

PLUNDER VS JOCJOC, ET AL

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee has recommended the filing of plunder charges against the following:

• Jocelyn Bolante, former DA undersecretary

• Ibarra Poliquit, DA assistant secretary 

• Leonicia Llarena

• Julie Gregorio, Feshan Philippines president

• Redentor Antolin, VP of Feshan Philippines   

• Marilyn Araos

• Marites Aytona

• Jaime Paule

• Belinda Gonzales, DA undersecretary