Fertilizer fund recipients mostly GMA allies

MANILA, Philippines - Most lawmakers and local officials who received fertilizer funds in 2004 were allies of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a witness in the Senate inquiry on the scam said yesterday.

Jose Barredo told ABS-CBN News Channel that Arroyo critics and her allies who jumped to the side of the opposition before the 2004 elections were taken out of the list of recipients prepared by then agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante.

He said he was then a runner for Marites Aytona of Feshan Philippines, which supplied the liquid fertilizer that was bought with funds Bolante allocated to Arroyo administration allies.

He claimed that he offered a 30-percent commission or kickback to lawmakers and local officials who accepted the funds and agreed to buy liquid fertilizer.

He said the rest of the money was shared by agriculture officials and suppliers.

The Commission on Audit said the liquid fertilizer bought with funds Bolante released to lawmakers and local officials was overpriced by as much as 1,000 percent.

A bottle costing only P150 was purchased for P1,500.

Barredo is one of several private individuals and former and incumbent agriculture officials whom the Office of the Ombudsman is recommending criminal charges in connection with the P728-million fertilizer scam.

He has expressed surprise over the anti-graft agency’s decision since he was a Senate witness and was not one of those whom the Senate agriculture committee wanted charged.

Former senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., who chaired the agriculture committee, confirmed this.

Magsaysay said he did not recommend the filing of a case against Barredo.

He said he, too, was surprised by the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision.

What was ironic was that while the witness was included in the charge sheet, former agriculture undersecretary Belinda Gonzales was excluded from the charges.

The Senate had recommended plunder charges for Gonzales, along with Bolante, former agriculture secretary Luis “Cito” Lorenzo Jr., and former assistant secretary Ibarra Poliquit Jr., now a vice president at the Government Service Insurance System.

Barredo also said he believed that Arroyo knew of the fertilizer scam and tolerated it.

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by then Sen. Richard Gordon held Arroyo responsible for the mishandling of the fertilizer funds.

In its report, the committee said at the very least, Arroyo allowed the misuse of the money.

“Since there was no reprobation or disapproval coming from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regarding their (Lorenzo’s and Bolante’s) actions, it can easily be inferred that the President acquiesced to such acts,” the report stated.

“Does anyone really believe that Bolante, et al would have been able to malverse such a gargantuan amount and continue to evade all sorts of liability without the acquiescence of Malacañang?” the committee asked.

The Gordon panel also cited the testimony of the late budget secretary Emilia Boncodin, who, according to its report, alluded to the “President’s knowledge” of the scam.

“When asked if the fertilizer fund request made by undersecretary Bolante for the Department of Agriculture was upon instruction of the President, Secretary Boncodin replied with, ‘I would imagine so,’” the report stated.