Bolante insists death threats due to fertilizer fund scam
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/13/2008 3:01 PM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
Former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante on Thursday reiterated past disclosures that he received death threats at the height of the Senate's P728-million fertilizer fund inquiry two years ago. He said he did not make them up.
"I'm really afraid. If you want an execution session, I will answer all your questions," Bolante said when Sen. Rodolfo Biazon pressed on him to identify those who want him silenced.
Biazon, who seemed open to the idea of an executive session with Bolante, said the former undersecretary should once and for all tell the Senate who has been sending him the death threats.
"We need to define from where the threat is coming [because] practically you're accusing the whole Filipino nation," the senator said.
In one of the documents submitted by Bolante before US courts while he was seeking asylum, the former undersecretary cited death threats as reason behind his apprehensions to return to the Philippines.
Bolante, however, did not clarify why he was being threatened.
Bolante flew to the US in 2006 after being repeatedly summoned by to attend the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food's hearing on the alleged fertilizer fund scam.
Earlier, former Agriculture Assistant Secretary Joey Montes, Bolante's friend of 10 years, said he had also received the same death threats.
Montes told the Senate that he and Bolante received death threats through their cellular phones. He added that the threatw were also sent to his office.
Montes was the former government official who flew to the US while Bolante's asylum request was being heard. There were accusations that Montes was ordered by Malacañang to testify for Bolante.
The former assistant secretary denied the report. "I did not fly to the US to testify."
He said that the testimony was taken through a teleconference call.
