Senate can arrest Bolante, Pimentel says

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said the Senate's Sergeant-at-Arms should arrest former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante upon his arrival in Manila on Tuesday in connection with his involvement in the multi-million peso fertilizer fund scam. Legal processes must be observed.

Pimentel said he favors the reopening of the investigation on the fertilizer fund case. If Senator Edgardo Angara does not want to reopen the case, Blue Ribbon Committee should investigate motu proprio. He said the Blue Ribbon Committee may also assume jurisdiction of the case from the Committee on Agriculture which had conducted an exhaustive probe of the anomaly.

Pimentel said Bolante should be thrown into jail on the BASIS of the strong evidence against him. He said the former agriculture secretary was able to evade Senate investigation because he went into hiding and later fled to the United States.

He lamented that the graft charges against Bolante have not been resolved by the Office of the Ombudsman due to heavy pressure from Malacanang. It was reported that investigators have already recommended the prosecution of Bolante and other perpetrators of the scam but no action have been taken on them by their superior.

Due to the failure of the Ombudsman to decide on the case, there is still no criminal case against Bolante that can serve as basis for his arrest by law enforcement agencies.

Some senators have urged the Department of Justice to issue a hold departure order against Bolante to prevent him from leaving the country and evade investigation and prosecution. But Pimentel doubted whether the DOJ will do this because in all likelihood Malacanang will do all its can to protect Bolante and prevent him from testifying before the Senate and squeal on the participation of other high government in the fund fraud.