Escudero doubts Bolante’s accounts still have cash
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 09:30:00 07/05/2008
Filed Under: Graft & Corruption
MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero doubts whether the 70 bank accounts of former Agriculture secretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante and his alleged cohorts in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam still have cash.
“After a long lapse of time, is there even money left in these accounts?” asked Escudero a day after the appellate court granted the petition of the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze the bank accounts in 17 banks and insurance firms in the country.
The freeze order came after the CA found probable cause that the funds could be tied to the diversion of fertilizer funds to the 2004 election campaign.
Escudero said the government should just pursue its Ombudsman case against Bolante which has not been acted on despite a preliminary report indicting Bolante.
The Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office (FIO), has recommended the filing of criminal charges against Bolante for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez on Friday said the freeze order could not be used by Bolante as proof that he is being persecuted by the government’
“I don’t think that the action of AMLC can be considered political per se. [The drive against] money laundering is a worldwide thing,” Gonzalez told reporters.
He added that Bolante’s alleged involvement in the P728-million fertilizer scam could be used as one of the reasons to press for his extradition.
Bolante had left the country in 2005 for the United States after being summoned by the Senate in its investigation of the fertilizer scam.
He had sought political asylum there, citing political persecution. But a US immigration court last month rejected his request. He has appealed the decision.
Gonzalez denied the government is politically persecuting Bolante.
“I don’t think he’s being politically persecuted but he’s at least being asked to account for those huge amounts from the fertilizer fund. Obviously if he can be around to clear himself on these allegations, he’ll be scot free, but he has to go through the process,” he said.
Gonzalez said that if Bolante loses his appeal to seek political asylum in the US, the former undersecretary would be surely deported because there would be no legal basis for him to remain in the US. The Philippine government, therefore, would not need to seek his extradition, Gonzalez said.
“We can’t have him extradited until this request for asylum is denied with finality, although [when this happens], he would no longer be entitled to stay in the US and he would have to be deported,” he said.
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