Bolante in hot water anew

Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante found himself in yet another tight spot after a Rotary International official disputed his claims that "pressing" engagements at the club had precluded his attending Senate hearings on the fertilizer fund scam.

Rotary general secretary Ed Futa said Bolante could have attended the Senate hearings since his responsibilities to the club are "voluntary" and "minimal."

Futa made the clarification in response to questions by members of the Senate committee on food and agriculture led by Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr.

"As the nature of Mr. Bolante’s responsibilities with Rotary International are voluntary and minimal, he is not required to be here in Evanston to perform said duties," Futa said.

Futa appeared before the Senate in response to Magsaysay’s query in a two-page letter dated Nov. 29, seeking the assistance of Rotary president Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar to clarify Bolante’s whereabouts.

The Senate issued an order of arrest against the former agriculture official after he failed to show up before its panel investigating the P728-million fertilizer scam last Nov. 24.

Magsaysay sent a letter to Rotary International office at One Rotary Center in Illinois, USA, seeking clarification as to the duties of Bolante with the club.

Magsaysay cited newspaper reports quoting lawyer Antonio Zulueta as saying his client had been out of the country most of the time for the past 14 to 15 months in relation to his duties as the fourth highest official of the Rotary Club in the country.

Bolante is seen as the key to resolving the controversy surrounding the disbursement of the fertilizer funds that were allegedly used as part of the campaign kitty of the administration for the May 10, 2004 general elections.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, for his part, sought to question the stand of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for not acting on the request of 20 senators to cancel Bolante’s passport.

"The position of the Department of Foreign Affairs gives a very limited meaning to the warrant of arrest," Drilon said.

Drilon insisted there is sufficient basis for the DFA to cancel Bolante’s passport, particularly if the person is charged with a criminal offense.

"And yet, if a co-equal branch of government, elected representatives of the people, 20 senators would request that the passport be canceled or withdrawn because of a warrant of arrest issued by the Senate, the interpretation of the DFA is that it cannot be given due course because it is not a warrant of arrest issued by a judicial body," he said.

Drilon also lashed at the DFA’s apparent "myopic" interpretation of the provisions of the Passport Act.

"Here is a guy, Mr. Bolante, who is being investigated for a P728-million anomaly in fertilizer purchase, and we cannot compel him to return because the DFA refuses to withdraw his passport," he said.

Drilon was reacting to the statement made by the DFA last week claiming it could not act on the Senate’s request to cancel Bolante’s travel documents since there was no warrant of arrest issued by a court.

The Senate earlier requested that the DFA recall Bolante’s passport to force the former agriculture official to attend the Senate hearings on the fertilizer scam.