SC to Senate: What’s
status of ‘Joc Joc’ case?

BY EVANGELINE DE VERA

THE Supreme Court has asked the Senate to disclose the status of its inquiry on the P728 million fertilizer fund scam in 2004 so it could rule on the petition filed by former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante in 2006 to nullify the arrest warrants against him.

In a minute resolution, the SC en banc resolved to "require the parties to manifest the status of the Senate inquiry within a non-extendible period of seven days."

The Blue Ribbon and agriculture and food committees investigated the fund scam and issued a warrant for Bolante’s arrest to compel him to testify but he fled to the US.

The Senate later recommended his prosecution before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Chief Justice Reynato Puno and Associate Justice Renato Corona did not take part in the resolution.

Bolante, a fellow Rotarian of Mike Arroyo, the President’s husband, was appointed agriculture undersecretary in 2001.

The Senate based its inquiry on the allegation of former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez that Bolante was the "master architect" of the alleged anomalies in the implementation of the DA’s Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Program.

According to the senators, Bolante and Assistant Secretary Felix Montes diverted the funds originally intended for the procurement of farm implements to farmers to fund Arroyo’s reelection in 2004.

Bolante was cited in contempt and subsequently ordered arrested on Dec. 12, 2005 after he failed to attend the joint committee hearings on Oct. 6 and 26, Nov. 17 and 24, and Dec. 12, 2005, despite subpoenas sent to him.

In a petition filed by lawyer Antonio Zulueta in January 2006, Bolante asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order with prayer for preliminary injunction to set aside the Senate’s warrant of arrest for being unconstitutional.