House members in fertilizer scam won’t inhibit in investigation
By Jesus F. Llanto , abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak | 11/12/2008 6:10 PM
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Despite the involvement of some congressmen in the fertilizer fund scam, the House Committee on Food and Agriculture will not require some of their colleagues implicated in the P728 million fertilizer fund scam to inhibit themselves from participating in their investigation of the case.
During the first day of the House probe today, Palawan Rep. Abraham Mitra, chair of the committee, said that there is no need to ask some of the congressman to inhibit from the case.
“They should not inhibit. They have not been found guilty,” said Mitra adding that they want the investigation to become a free and transparent hearing.
Mitra’s reaction came after two representatives—one of them a member of the investigating committee—admitted that they have benefited from the fertilizer funds when they were still governors.
Rep. Pedro Romualdo, former governor of Camiguin, admitted to the panel that his province received fertilizer while Negros Oriental’s George Arnaiz said his province received P1.75 million but the province only got it after the 2004 election
“We received it after the election and we used it to buy equipment,” Arnaiz said. Arnaiz is member of committee on food and agriculture.
Documents obtained by abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak from sources, however, showed Arnaiz and Romualdo each received P5 million each from the fertilizer fund.
Recipients
A check on the documents we obtained and on the list of the members of the committee on food and agriculture revealed that congressional districts of nine of the members—including the chair of the investigating committee—were among the recipients of the fertilizer fund.
Among the committee members identified as recipients are Reps. Edwin Uy (2nd District, Isabela), Manuel Mamba (3rd District Cagayan), Junie Cua (Quirino), George Arnaiz (2nd District, Negros Oriental), Abdullah Dimaporo (2nd District, Lanao del Norte), Belma Cabilao (1st District, Zamboanga Sibugay),Roque Ablan (1st Distict, Ilocos Norte), Faysah Dumarpa (1st District, Lanao del Sur), Edgar Chatto (1st Distict, Bohol),
Meanwhile, an official from the commission on audit told the panel that the list of government officials who actually received fertilizer or money from the P728 million fertilizer fund is different from the list of the officials in the Department of Budget and Management Special Allotment Release Order (SARO).
The annexes attached to the SARO, said COA director Flerida Jimenez said, is different from the one used in distributing the funds.
Officials from the Commission on Audit (COA) were questioned at today’s hearing as some of the officials invited by the House were not present in the probe.
No-show
Former agriculture secretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante, who is considered as the architect of the scam, did not make it and is still in the custody of the Senate while agriculture secretary Arthur Yap sent undersecretaries Bernie Fontevilla and Jesus Paras.
Former budget secretary Emilia Boncodin informed the committee that she could not make it because she has classes at the University of the Philippines. Agriculture undersecretary Belinda Gonzales, her representative say, has been suffering from recurrent migraine attacks.
Mitra said they were “disappointed and disheartened” because Bolante did not show up in the probe. He said the committee is expecting that he would appear on their next hearing scheduled on Tuesday.
Bolante is scheduled to testify at the Senate investigation tomorrow.
