MANILA, Philippines -- Senate President Manuel Villar shrugged off the petition filed by former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante’s camp before the Supreme Court questioning the warrant for his arrest issued by the chamber.

Villar maintained the arrest order is valid, based on the recommendation by the committees on agriculture and food, and accountability, public officers and investigation (Blue Ribbon) in December 2005.

“Inaasahan naman natin iyan [Bolante petition] Si Mr. Bolante ay gagawin ang kanyang mga pamamaraan sa legal. Basta naman legal yan, wala kaming prblema diyan [We were expecting that anyway. Mr. Bolante will seek all legal remedies. As long as it is legal, we have no problem with that],” he told reporters.

“Ako naman bilang pangulo ng Senado ay ginagawa ko lamang ang aking tungkulin. Inaasahan ko na ang mga abogado ni Mr. Bolante ay gagawin ang kanilang mga tungkulin [On my part, as Senate president, I merely perform my duty. I expect that Mr. Bolante’s lawyers will also do their duty],” he said.

Villar said he is glad Bolante is back in the country so he can tell everything he knows about the so-called P728 million fertilizer fund scam.

Bolante is accused of diverting the money to the 2004 campaign kitty of President Glorua-Macapagal Arroyo.

The Senate president promised Bolante the “maximum courtesy” should the Senate decide to reopen its investigation into the fertilizer scame.

“Lahat ng kailangan nya at pag-iingat ay ibibigay namin sa kanya. Mukha namang makikipag-cooperate si Mr. Bolante at walang kadahilanan para magkaroon ng problema [All his needs for his well-being we will give him. It seems that Mr. Bolante will cooperate and there is no reason to expect any problem],” Villar said.

He said he would immediately confer with his fellow senators to decide on what to do with Bolante. He said their decision would also take into consideration the results of the medical tests undergone by Bolante at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.