As the Senate grilled former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante, three of its members declared that they never benefited from the largesse.

Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Alan Peter Cayetano and Benigno Aquino III – who were on Bolante’s list of “proponents” of the P728-million fertilizer fund project – reiterated that they did not benefit from the millions allocated for the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) program in 2004.

At the reopening of the fertilizer scam hearing, the three confronted Bolante over the supposed list.

Zubiri even inhibited himself from the inquiry to ensure a fair investigation. He also described as “a blatant lie” allegations that he was among the lawmakers who benefited from the fund.

“I did not touch this – our district, my father’s and my district, did not receive a single ounce... a single drop of Fuller fertilizer. To prove the matter, I will submit all these documents to the committee. And for delicadeza and fair play, I inhibit myself from the proceedings,” Zubiri said.

Aquino said he was identified as a proponent but he did not actually receive any amount.

“I condemn some acts in certain media outfits to besmirch my reputation and my name,” Zubiri said, apparently irked by two editorials in one newspaper (not The STAR).

He admitted that he was offered P5 million for the purchase of farm inputs and farm implements but declined, knowing that the Fuller fertilizer would be of no use to Bukidnon farmers.

“The late director Rufo Chan Jr. of Region 10 on May 17, 2003 issued a certification stating that I did not receive a single centavo from this fund and it was still unutilized up to this point,” Zubiri said.

Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson, for his part, called on Cayetano to follow the example of Zubiri and inhibit himself from the investigation.

Lacson presented to the committee a copy of a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for P1.102 billion, whose annex showed Cayetano on the list of beneficiaries.

“So I would like to put on record since the chairman manifested he is not inhibiting, I would just like to manifest... and I would like to hear an explanation from the chairman whether he inhibits or not as the presiding officer of these proceedings,” Lacson said.

“I can tell you I did not request, did not receive, did not assent, and to my knowledge, the district of Taguig Pateros did not get any,” Cayetano said.

Lacson pointed out that the SARO appeared to be an official document of the agriculture and Blue Ribbon committees, marked Annex F, with the heading “DA Farm Inputs/Implements.”

Cayetano assured the public that the Blue Ribbon committee will examine new evidence and all documents presented before his committee.

During the inquiry, Cayetano also confronted Bolante with two SAROs dated Feb. 3 and Feb. 11, 2004.

“Wala po. Bogus po iyon (They’re bogus). There was only one list that was submitted,” Bolante told Cayetano.

Bolante explained that the Feb. 11 SARO involving P767 million was used for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE). 

Bolante was also asked to verify the list in his possession from the list with the Blue Ribbon committee.

“I can say this is a bogus list because it has the name of (then Quezon City) Rep. Maite Defensor. Maite Defensor was never part of the correct list. As it appears right now, this is the wrong one,” Bolante said. Maite is a sister of known presidential ally Mike Defensor, who is now with the Philippine National Railways.

Bolante said that to his knowledge, three congressmen from Metro Manila received funds.

They were Quezon City Rep. Nanette Daza, Navotas Rep. Federico Sandoval, and Las Piñas Rep. Eduardo Zialcita.

Zialcita denied the allegation.

Daza and Sandoval got P3 million each, while Zialcita allegedly got P5 million.

Of the three, only Sandoval was in the list of original proponents.

All throughout his testimony, Bolante maintained that he had no intentions of snubbing the Senate hearings when he left the country on official business three years ago, until his US visa was cancelled.

“In all honesty, your honors, I really feel that the decision to cite me for contempt and the consequent warrant of arrest was very unfair and railroaded. Unfair in the sense that I have mentioned earlier I was not able to attend the hearing on Nov. 24 (2004) simply because I was out of the country,” Bolante said.

“In other words, as early as Dec. 9, I already made my commitment clear that I was willing to contribute to the success of this investigation. I made it clear,” Bolante said.

Bolante earlier explained that the P728-million fund was part of the budget of the Department of Agriculture.

He denied claims that the fertilizer fund was intended to boost the President’s campaign kitty in 2004.

He said the “funding was not a unique funding solely for 2004.” 

“It is an old funding activity of the DA, present in all funding programs of DA. What are these? Rice and corn, high value crops, livestock and fisheries. If you examine the performance reports of the DA annually, almost always there are farm inputs and farm implements components... They are not just fertilizers,” Bolante said.

Meanwhile, the United Opposition (UNO) is dismayed at Bolante’s Senate testimony.

UNO spokesman Adel Tamano said Bolante was playing a “not-so-funny joke” at the expense of the Filipino people when he claimed that Arroyo knew nothing about the release of the fertilizer fund in 2004.

“We and the rest of the Filipino people can’t help but feel dismayed by the testimony of Undersecretary Bolante clearing President Arroyo. I guess the not too funny joke-joke – pun intended – is on all of us who wanted to hear the truth from him,” Tamano said. - With Jose Rodel Clapano