Gordon warns Feshan executives to surrender and testify

Sen. Richard Gordon warned the two executives of Feshan Philippines to surrender and testify at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the fertilizer scam or face arrest.

Gordon, Blue Ribbon chairman, said the arrest orders against Julie Gregorio and Reden Antolin, president and vice-president of Feshan, respectively, are still in effect.

“If they are arrested and they did not surrender, they will go straight to Pasay jail,” he said.

Thirteen senators signed the arrest orders against Gregorio and Antolin.

“The Senate has to stop being a hotel for people who are recalcitrant, those who do not respect the Senate,” Gordon said. “Any individual, regardless of status, should respect the functions of the Senate.”

Gregorio was cited in contempt and ordered arrested by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee for her failure to appear before the hearings and submit documents requested by the panel despite personal notices sent to her.

The committee also cited Antolin in contempt and sought his arrest for falsely testifying last Dec. 10 that it was Leonicia Llarena, along with Maritess Aytona, who approached Feshan to talk about the fertilizer fund project.

However, at the Dec. 17 hearing, Llarena said she did not approach Feshan, but rather, it was Aytona who introduced her to the Feshan executives.

Gordon said both Gregorio and Antolin should immediately submit themselves to the Senate’s custody so that they could testify and clear their names.

Asked about Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s comment that they could not be detained in Pasay City Jail because they were not yet considered criminals, Gordon said disobedience to summonses is a crime.

“They can be detained because we don’t have really detention area, that’s a detention prison anyway. Of course, I will not contradict our boss in the Senate, I have high respect for him. But if they will continue to disobey us, I will do it,” Gordon said.

Break for Bolante

Gordon also said he would no longer require the presence of former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante at tomorrow’s hearing even if his alleged runner, Aytona is slated to testify.

Aytona surrendered to the Senate on Thursday claiming there were threats on her life.

“I will call him if he wants to attend. But he will only say he does not know Aytona, who also says she does not know (Bolante),” Gordon said over radio station dwIZ.

He said it might be necessary to have Bolante if the alleged “bagman” or “fixer” at the Department of Agriculture, Jaime Paule, is arrested and forced to testify.

Gordon said what was important was that Agriculture Undersecretary Belinda Gonzales was able to link Bolante and Paule.