‘Joc Joc’ arrested in US, seeks Mike's assistance - Malaya 07.13.2006

Palace rules out payment of $100,000 bail

FORMER Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante, who has been tagged as the architect of the P728-million fertilizer fund diversion, was arrested in Los Angeles, California, on July 7 over problems with his business visa.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Gilbert Asuque, citing a notification by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service to Consul General Willy Gaa, said Bolante was nabbed as he arrived from Seoul via Asiana Airlines.

"The immigration officer cancelled the business visa of Mr. Bolante, which is the reason for his arrest. The INS did not elaborate. They said it’s visa-related," Asuque said.

Bolante reportedly failed to put up the $100,000 set for his bail and sought the assistance of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, who is in San Francisco.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the government would extend assistance to Bolante but paying the $100,000 bail was out of the question.
"We will see under what arrangement we can help him. He’s a private citizen. Alam mo pag tinulungan ng government yan, ang sasabihin sa media, ay tinulungan ng Malacañang si Bolante, Malacañang pala ang may kinalaman sa pagtatago kay Bolante. Hindi naman totoo iyan," he said.

Asuque said DFA has not cancelled Bolante’s passport, the reason he was able to travel despite an arrest order issued by the Senate.

Asked if Bolante’s problem with his visa was in connection with the Senate order, Asuque said the consulate has limited details on the arrest.

"We will only know the reason why he was arrested after the hearing. We assure that our consular assistance will be given to him to ensure that his rights, especially the right to due process, are recognized and respected under US laws. The consulate will keep track of developments of Bolante’s case and will still provide him assistance," he said.

Bolante’s immigration hearing is set today.

Asuque said Gaa has dispatched legal officer Noemi Diaz to the San Pedro Detention Center to ensure that Bolante’s rights are respected.

The Senate committee on agriculture and food chaired by Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and the blue ribbon panel investigating the P728-million fertilizer fund scam recommended in December last year the filing of plunder charges against Bolante and former Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo for the alleged illegal transactions and dissipation of the funds earmarked for the purchase of fertilizers and other farm inputs.

The two committees in their 15-page final report said President Arroyo should be held accountable for the squander of the million-peso funds intended for farmer beneficiaries.

Plunder carries the penalty of life imprisonment.

The report said the President must "take it upon herself to institute measures to correct the flaws in her administration."

In an interim report on December 2005, the committee on agriculture and food tagged Bolante as the "architect" of the scam and excluded Arroyo from the "charge sheet."

The Senate probe was prompted by widespread allegations that Malacañang distributed the funds to congressmen and local chief executives in exchange for supporting the candidacy of Arroyo in the May 2004 elections.

The Senate panels said plunder case and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act should also be filed against Undersecretary Ibarra Poliquit, Undersecretary Belinda Gonzales, Assistant Secretary Jose Felix Montes and all the regional directors of the Department of Agriculture.
The joint panel found "probable criminal culpability" against the said government officials.

The Senate report asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate members of the House of Representatives and local officials who benefited from the illegal use of the funds and charge them with violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Act.

In October last year, Bolante was slapped with contempt after ignoring Senate hearings.

He flew to the US on Dec. 12, the day the Senate conducted its fifth hearing on the fertilizer scam.

Magsaysay said Bolante should be immediately extradited.

"This is a good opening for the country to have him extradited. Former DA Undersecretary Bolante has a lot to answer for," he said.

Magsaysay said Bolante should be turned over to the Senate or to the Ombudsman.

"I ask the US to give his basic rights and see to it that his life is safe and protected. Some groups do not want him to testify and they won’t stop at anything," Magsaysay said.

Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel said the arrest of Bolante should answer all the questions surrounding the plunder of fertilizer funds that were supposed to benefit farmers.

"Good development. Gives Bolante a chance to clarify where the over P1-billion fertilizer money for the farmers went and who benefited from it," Pimentel said. – Evangeline de Vera, Jocelyn Montemayor and Dennis Gadil