DA execs pin down Bolante on fertilizer fund scam

Three regional directors of the Department of Agriculture yesterday nailed former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante on the P728-million fertilizer scam, saying he had signed dubious purchase orders and had personally gave questionable instructions to some officials.

The testimonies of the three officials appeared to have stolen the momentum from Bolante, who was generally believed to have won the first round of the Senate investigation last week.

In the previous hearing, Bolante appeared to have run circles around the senators with testimonies on how he merely “downloaded” the money for project “proponents,” and on other issues like his travels, bank accounts, and confinement at the St. Luke’s Medical Center. 

The regional directors – Roger Chio of Region 11, Leo Caneda of Region 8 and Ricardo Oblena of Region 7 – belied Bolante’s claim that he had nothing to do with the implementation of the project.

“It’s not correct, your honor,” Chio said of Bolante’s claim upon questioning by Sen. Francis Escudero.

He showed a memorandum order from the DA authorizing all the regional directors to approve the release of up to P1 million for a certain project. “If it is over P1 million, we have to forward it to the central office for their approval,” Chio said during the hearing.

Chio said it was Bolante who signed the purchase request for 2,000 pieces of foliar fertilizer at P1,500 each. The purchase order was dated March 30, 2004 for P3 million and Escudero said this was what the Commission on Audit found to have been overpriced by P1,250 per unit.

“The signatory here is Jocelyn Bolante, undersecretary, by authority of the secretary,” Escudero said of the memorandum.

“Wasn’t this the opportunity for you to step in when there was perceived anomaly? But the purchase order, you signed it yourself. So where did your statements here the whole morning and afternoon (last Nov. 13) that you did not have anything to do with the purchase of fertilizer come from?” Escudero asked.

Chio and Caneda also said that contrary to Bolante’s claim, the fertilizer project was not a regular program of the DA and that it was the first time that such a huge amount was allocated for farm inputs and implements.

“I can vouch for this statement. Considering the humongous amount involved, this is the first time ever that we have undertaken this kind of project in the region,” Caneda told the senators.

Caneda added that based on his recollection, the program did not have specific design or guidelines. “But there was a one-page document showing who could implement the program,” he said.

Former DA undersecretary for operations Ibarra Trinidad Poliquit confirmed at the hearing that Bolante was the “focal person” assigned by then DA Secretary Luis “Cito” Lorenzo for the program.

Bolante, as former undersecretary for finance, said the purchase order was also signed by other offices of the DA – accounting and finance – and that he was simply given the authority to allow the regional director to do the processing because they had a limit of P1 million.

“But as far as the procurement is concerned, as far as the choice of the supplier is concerned, as far as the canvassing of the price is concerned, we do not do that in the head office but the ones in the regional office,” Bolante insisted.

Oblena, after intense questioning by Gordon, Lacson and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, also testified that Bolante had asked him to replace a local government unit named in the MOA for the release of funds with a non-government organization called National Organization for Agricultural Enhancement and Productivity Inc.

Oblena, who had to be threatened by Cayetano that he would be cited in contempt if he would not tell the truth, said Bolante gave him the instruction by phone.

Oblena, who referred to Bolante as “our undersecretary,” said he had to inform Aklan Mayor Raymar Rebaldo about the change in a letter dated June 29, 2004.

At one point, when Oblena hesitated to answer, his lawyer passed a note to him, telling him to “tell the truth.”

Commission on Audit director for corporate government sector Flerida Jimenez confirmed the irregularities in the program, including overpricing.

Bolante denied calling Oblena.

“I deny that I ever talked with him to tell him to favor any organization,” Bolante said.

The senators warned the DA regional directors that they would be the ones charged before the Office of Ombudsman if they fail to pinpoint the real perpetrator of the mess. 

Gordon also ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to locate Maritess Aytona, the supposed runner of Bolante.

He said Aytona must be compelled to appear and face off with Bolante.

Aytona was earlier identified as the one who proposed a 30-30-40 sharing scheme for the P5-million fertilizer allocation – 30 percent for the congressman, 30 percent for Bolante and 40 percent for the purchase of liquid fertilizer.

Secret Swiss account?

Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said Bolante might have deposited his alleged loot in a Swiss bank during one of his many foreign trips.

“I am just suspecting. Why did he go to Switzerland?” he asked.

Bolante was initially hesitant to tell the Senate panel the details of the bank accounts, citing the Bank Secrecy Law.

Estrada said he was also surprised that Bolante had gone abroad 14 times in a span of one year, in his capacity as an official of Rotary International.

“I have just a few accounts that I would request that I may be allowed not to disclose because of the bank secrecy law. I don’t normally discuss… With your permission, your honor, I don’t normally discuss my finances in public,” Bolante said.

Gordon said the Senate should invite officials of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to determine the status of Bolante’s accounts and why these were subjected to an AMLC investigation.

“We’re calling the AMLC people because I cannotuse any evidence…Somebody has got to attest to the veracity of the report,” Gordon said.

“Obviously, there are 23 deposits, 23 bank accounts. Very evasive,” he pointed out.

“He said there were four, and two were closed, and then it turned out there were 23 more,” Gordon said.

The United Opposition (UNO) still finds Gordon’s chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon committee suspect because of his pro-administration inclination.

“It makes more sense for the Blue Ribbon committee chairman to be someone who is not allied with the president, not merely independent, but someone whose orientation is to oppose presidential excesses. In short, someone who has a track record of being a member of the opposition,” UNO spokesman Adel Tamano said. – With Christina Mendez, Jose Rodel Clapano, and Cecille Suerte Felipe