Former NFA chief to back scam probe
By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated July 09, 2010 12:00 AM
|
| |
MANILA, Philippines - Former agriculture secretary Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap said he would cooperate in the
investigation of the P728-million fertilizer scam allegedly involving his former boss
and now House colleague Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“I always cooperated with any government agency when I was agriculture secretary,” Yap, who was National
Food Authority (NFA) chief at the time of the scam, told reporters. “All files needed regarding the case, we
surrendered. We attended all the hearings called by the House and the Senate. We’ve always cooperated
with them.”
Also at the center of the scam was former Department of Agriculture (DA) undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc”
Bolante.
Yap’s declaration came in the wake of the surfacing of his predecessor in the DA, Luis “Cito” Lorenzo who,
according to President Aquino on Wednesday, might turn state witness and tell what he knows of the
alleged diversion of fertilizer funds for farmers to the 2004 campaign kitty of Arroyo.
Arroyo ran and won as congresswoman of the second district in Pampanga last May 10, an unprecedented
move seen by some critics as her way of evading possible lawsuits on her alleged misdeeds when she
was president.
Yap and Arroyo were seen chatting yesterday at the session hall of the Batasang Pambansa during an
orientation for first-time members of the House of Representatives.
Lorenzo hurriedly went to the United States in 2005, apparently to evade congressional inquiries into the
alleged scam.
Yap later succeeded Lorenzo to the top DA post.
“He (Lorenzo) was my predecessor, I worked closely with the man. I believe he knows what he wants to do
so we just have to respect and support whatever decision he makes,” Yap said.
Yap stressed he had nothing to do with the anomaly and that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, then
headed by former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., did not even invite him to testify.
For the Truth Commission
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said whatever testimony made by Lorenzo would be referred to
the soon-to-be-created Truth Commission.
“That is a priority,” De Lima said of the case. The Aquino administration is still in the process of creating the
Truth Commission, but it has named former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. as its head.
Lawyer and UP professor Harry Roque said Lorenzo should “spill the beans” and testify against Mrs. Arroyo
“if he wants his name cleared.”
Roque said President Aquino should prosecute Lorenzo on the basis of “command responsibility,” despite
the reported P20-million contribution of the former DA chief’s brother to the President’s campaign last May.
“The public is watching whether P20 million can buy immunity, or despite the P20 million, he will fulfill his
promise that there can be no reconciliation without justice,” Roque said.
Lorenzo had insisted he had nothing to do with the anomaly.
But Roque believes that Lorenzo was only “closing his eyes” when the alleged misuse of funds was being
committed.
Evidence enough
Meanwhile, Magsaysay said there was no need for the Truth Commission to tackle the fertilizer fund scam
because his old committee had already gathered enough evidence to pin down those involved in the
anomaly.
“This was thoroughly investigated by the two Senate committees. Together it’s eight months worth of
investigations and together with the Commission on Audit (report), what more do they need?” Magsaysay
said.
He was referring to the Senate committees on agriculture, which he headed, and the Blue Ribbon.
Magsaysay said the Ombudsman should be compelled to act on the evidence gathered and file the
appropriate cases before the Sandiganbayan.
Since the first Senate committee report came out in early 2007, the Ombudsman has not acted on the
complaint.
If the Ombudsman still fails to act on the issue, Magsaysay said the Department of Justice (DO) should step
in to ensure that the case moves forward.
Magsaysay said that the DOJ can complete its fact-finding on the case in one week if it wants to.
“Cito was one of those recommended with a charge of plunder as head of the Department of Agriculture. He
gave the written authorization for Bolante to disburse the funds for the project, so in effect he was part of
this,” Magsaysay said.
He said Lorenzo’s departure from the country was an indication of guilt or an attempt to escape a potential
threat on his life.
“If you look at why he left the country and stayed away for three to four years, there was strong reason, there
was some kind of fear or threat on his part,” he said.
“With regard to whether he will be absolved or his complicity there would be modulated or lessened, that
would be up to the Sandiganbayan to decide,” Magsaysay said.
“Justice has to be served. All of the truth should come out,” Magsaysay said.
“The only ones who were punished were the witnesses and people who testified like Marlene Esperat and
Gomersindo Lasam,” Magsaysay said.
Esperat used to be the resident ombudsman of the DA-Central Mindanao before becoming a journalist. It
was believed her murder in 2005 was linked to the scam.
Lasam, on the other hand, was a DA undersecretary and concurrent regional director of the DA-Cagayan
Valley when he was murdered in April last year.
Magsaysay recalled that in his committee report, the former president was deemed directly accountable
“because it was she who brought Bolante into the DA when she took over as temporary Secretary of
Agriculture and put him as undersecretary for operations.”
“Cito belongs to a well respected family. It has to boil down to the fact that he has to preserve and try to get
back his reputation and protect that family name for his family and children. It’s a matter of self-respect,” said
Magsaysay. With Edu Punay and Marvin Sy
|
| |
| |
|
