US court rejects petition for bail of ‘Joc Joc’ Battling Lou Gehrig's disease - Malaya 09.15.2006
A UNITED States district court in Northern Illinois has rejected the petition for bail by former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante, according to lawyer Harry Roque in a television interview shown over GMA-Channel 7.
Roque said the court also rejected Bolante’s petition for the court to dismiss Roque’s amicus brief, although the judge said the brief would be "under advice."
Roque and other lawyers from the Philippines submitted the amicus brief to oppose Bolante’s bid for bail, habeas corpus and asylum.
The brief also asked the court to deport Bolante to the Philippines where he is being investigated for allegedly diverting P728 million in fertilizer funds to the campaign chest of President Arroyo in 2004.
The court set another hearing on Bolante’s case for September 27.
Bolante has been in detention since July 7 when he was taken in custody upon landing in Los Angeles from Inchon, Korea, for a cancelled visa.
Court records show his B1/B 2 was cancelled by the US Embassy on the request of the Senate which had issued an order for his arrest.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Malacañang’s alleged plan to file a diplomatic protest regarding Bolante’s arrest in the US shows government’s true colors.
"Their slips are now showing. It only proves that no matter how they camouflage it, their true colors will show. No matter how Malacañang proclaims they don’t have anything to do with Bolante, their true sentiment will prevail in the end, or at least when the heat starts to radiate towards their direction," Lacson said.
Lacson said the plan, as bared by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, belies government’s repeated claims that it will not assist Bolante except with "mandatory" consular assistance provided a Filipino in a foreign country, a claim reiterated yesterday by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.
Reports from Brussels quoted Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo as saying the planned diplomatic protest was the "recommendation" of Santiago who joined President Arroyo in her five-nation, nine-day trip.
Lacson also raised the question of who is paying Bolante’s American lawyers from Azulay, Horn and Seiden LLC, which is said to be among the biggest law firms in the US.
"Who is assisting Bolante in paying all his legal fees to the fourth biggest law firm in the US?" Lacson said.
Roque has said one would need "access to billions of pesos" to hire the services of this firm which, he said, "charges by the hour."
Roque said Bolante’s arrest was in pursuit of US government policy not to grant safe haven to "kleptocrats."
Lacson said Santiago’s "recommendation" to Malacañang shows "there is no doubt she is a Malacañang ally."
In his petition for habeas corpus with the US district court for the Northern District of Illinois, Bolante has impleaded US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. – Dennis Gadil and Regina Bengco
Roque said the court also rejected Bolante’s petition for the court to dismiss Roque’s amicus brief, although the judge said the brief would be "under advice."
Roque and other lawyers from the Philippines submitted the amicus brief to oppose Bolante’s bid for bail, habeas corpus and asylum.
The brief also asked the court to deport Bolante to the Philippines where he is being investigated for allegedly diverting P728 million in fertilizer funds to the campaign chest of President Arroyo in 2004.
The court set another hearing on Bolante’s case for September 27.
Bolante has been in detention since July 7 when he was taken in custody upon landing in Los Angeles from Inchon, Korea, for a cancelled visa.
Court records show his B1/B 2 was cancelled by the US Embassy on the request of the Senate which had issued an order for his arrest.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Malacañang’s alleged plan to file a diplomatic protest regarding Bolante’s arrest in the US shows government’s true colors.
"Their slips are now showing. It only proves that no matter how they camouflage it, their true colors will show. No matter how Malacañang proclaims they don’t have anything to do with Bolante, their true sentiment will prevail in the end, or at least when the heat starts to radiate towards their direction," Lacson said.
Lacson said the plan, as bared by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, belies government’s repeated claims that it will not assist Bolante except with "mandatory" consular assistance provided a Filipino in a foreign country, a claim reiterated yesterday by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.
Reports from Brussels quoted Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo as saying the planned diplomatic protest was the "recommendation" of Santiago who joined President Arroyo in her five-nation, nine-day trip.
Lacson also raised the question of who is paying Bolante’s American lawyers from Azulay, Horn and Seiden LLC, which is said to be among the biggest law firms in the US.
"Who is assisting Bolante in paying all his legal fees to the fourth biggest law firm in the US?" Lacson said.
Roque has said one would need "access to billions of pesos" to hire the services of this firm which, he said, "charges by the hour."
Roque said Bolante’s arrest was in pursuit of US government policy not to grant safe haven to "kleptocrats."
Lacson said Santiago’s "recommendation" to Malacañang shows "there is no doubt she is a Malacañang ally."
In his petition for habeas corpus with the US district court for the Northern District of Illinois, Bolante has impleaded US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. – Dennis Gadil and Regina Bengco
posted by brodkaster43 at Linggo, Setyembre 17, 2006
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