Gordon passes on probe of P728-million fertilizer scam to other agencies

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Richard Gordon said yesterday the investigation on other personalities involved in the P728-million fertilizer project should now be the duty of the police and other government agencies.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, said the Senate’s investigations were done in aid of legislation and to see loopholes in current laws, which might have allowed the fertilizer fund controversy to happen.

He added that other investigations, particularly on those who were implicated in the issue, was the primary responsibility of the Department of Justice, Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation.

“The Senate conducts inquiries in aid of legislation. The Senate was not made to investigate all controversies and everything in it, otherwise, all we have to do here is to make investigations left and right,” Gordon said.

“If ever there are personalities who still have to be investigated, that would be stated in the recommendations under the committee report,” he added.

Gordon explained the committee had not pushed through with its investigation on other people implicated in the fertilizer project, including fertilizer supplier Janet Napoles, because they had already unraveled the modus operandi used to orchestrate the anomalous project.

He said that the modus operandi was known when Feshan Philippines president Julie Gregorio decided to reveal important pieces of evidence, such as bank documents and checks related to the fertilizer project.

“Because of the Senate’s investigation, the police now know, more or less, the modus operandi. If Napoles and others have to be investigated, that is no longer the job of the Senate since we have already done our part,” Gordon said.

He added that the committee has included in its recommendations the investigation of all the other key personalities involved in the fertilizer fund mess and that he would call for another hearing only if there were new evidence and witnesses that would come out.

During the eight hearings on the said controversy, the committee was able to compel, through the issuance of arrest orders, witnesses Jaime Paule, Marites Aytona, Leonicia Llarena, Marilyn Araos, Feshan vice president Redentor Antolin and Gregorio to come out and testify before the panel. – Aurea Calica