Magsaysay unfazed by death threats

Amid supposed threats on his life, Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. said he would continue presiding over the investigation into the P728-million fertilizer fund scam in the Senate.

Magsaysay, chairman of the Senate committee on food and agriculture investigating the scam, said the threats on his life as well as on his chief of staff would only make the committee more determined in continuing its probe.

Magsaysay and his chief of staff Jojo Buenviaje reportedly received two threatening text messages last Tuesday night.

The first message, reading "Isang bala ka lang," was received at around 9:18 p.m. The words — which translate to "One bullet, you die" — apparently referred to the title of one of the movies of late action star and defeated presidential bet Fernando Poe Jr.

The second text message was more particular. "Sen. Magsaysay, itigil ninyo na ng chief of staff mo ang imbestigasyon kung ayaw nyong dalawa mabura sa mundo (Sen. Magsaysay, you better stop the investigation with your chief of staff, if you get erased from this earth)."

The messages were sent through Magsaysay’s phone from two different cellular phones with prepaid numbers 0927-9979469 and 0915-9077904.

Magsaysay said he had no plans to hire additional bodyguards despite the threats. "It is unlikely of a Magsaysay," he said.

Magsaysay said he is still clueless over who could have sent the text messages.

"The inquiry into the scam is going deeper. Many of those involved will surely get hurt," he said in Filipino.

Magsaysay stressed the threats will not hamper the investigation on the Department of Agriculture (DA) since new evidence crops up in every probe.

First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo is again being implicated in the scam, but this was denied by his lawyer Jesus Santos.

"This is a warning shot. ‘Isang bala ka lang’ was one of the flicks of FPJ (Poe). I am appealing to our countrymen to remain supportive (of our efforts)," Magsaysay said.

The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier sent to the Senate and the House of Representatives its report showing "grossly overpriced" fertilizer purchases that had been financed out of a total of P47.2 million of pork barrel funds meant for four congressmen.

The allocations supposedly came from the funds of Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago, Camarines Norte Rep. Renato Unico Jr., Rep. Ernesto Pablo of the party-list group Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) and the late Fausto Seachon Jr. of Masbate.

The COA report showed the liquid fertilizer had been purchased at P800 per bottle even though it sold on the local market for only P58.50 to P90.54 per bottle.

The Senate recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of charges against the congressmen involved in the fertilizer fund scam.

Congressmen, on the other hand, sought a separate probe looking into use of the senators’ pork barrel allocations.

House leaders took up the cudgels for their colleagues implicated in the fertilizer scam, calling the allegations a "trial by publicity."