MANILA, Philippines -- The alleged “runner” in the fertilizer fund scam has denied knowing former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante, Senator Richard Gordon revealed on Monday.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said Maritess Aytona admitted knowing Jose Barredo, a witness in the scam, but claimed that she did not know Bolante.

“She [Aytona] knows Barredo but denied knowing Bolante,” Gordon said over the phone.

“Ang sabi niya, siya ang nilapitan ni Barredo [She said that it was Barredo who approached her]. She also said that a big businesswoman had contacted her but I told her to just make the statement during the hearing,” he said.

Gordon and Aytona met the night before the committee’s hearing last Friday. Citing health reasons, Aytona did not attend the proceeding.

In that hearing, Barredo claimed that it was Aytona, who had recruited him to negotiate with project proponents or beneficiaries of the fund.

But the witness admitted that he did not know Bolante but insinuated that Aytona was reporting to the former undersecretary.

Gordon said Aytona also denied to him anything about the scam except that she was the one who prepared the project proposals.

“Ang akala ko she was ready to talk…but she kept denying,” said the senator. “She’s denying anything. So I guess we will have another Bolante in our next hearing.

Gordon said he did not also believe Aytona’s claim that some people were tailing her.

In fact, the senator said, he even encouraged Aytona to testify in the Senate, saying that her testimony will be very valuable to the investigation.

“I told her that she has to attend the hearing so she can explain what really transpired,” he said.

“I want to ask her where the money came from, who they distributed it to and how were they able to enter easily into the offices of the recipients,” he further said.