Bolante in Senate custody
By Anna Valmero, Miko L. Morelos
INQUIRER.net, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:37:00 12/03/2008
Filed Under: Joc-joc Bolante
MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 8) Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante arrived at the Senate shortly after midnight Thursday following a short visit with his sick wife at their residence in a posh village in suburban Muntinlupa City.
Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, assured Bolante he is being “detained not to be humiliated” but just to ensure the truth will come out.
Bolante was arrested around 8 p.m. Wednesday by members of the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms at his lawyer’s office in Makati City after the Senate issued a warrant for his arrest for “not telling the truth” on the so-called fertilizer fund scam.
On his arrival at the Senate, a doctor checked his vital signs.
He was then brought to the office of Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Jose Balajadia before he met with Gordon.
Aside from his lawyers, no member of his family accompanied him at the upper chamber.
From Makati, the arresting team allowed Bolante to visit his sick wife at their residence in Ayala Alabang Village.
“The warrant has been served but he requested that he be allowed to go home and see first his family,” his lawyer, Alexis Suarez, earlier said.
His wife suffered a mild stroke late Wednesday afternoon on hearing the news about his arrest, his other lawyer, Antonio Zulueta, said.
A Senate guard earlier told INQUIRER.net that Bolante comforted his wife and had dinner with his family.
Earlier, a resident drove past Bolante’s house in Alabang and yelled: “Liar, liar, liar.”
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