Jocjoc Bolante asks SC to stop Ombudsman from filing plunder case

MANILA, Philippines—Former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante has asked the Supreme Court to stop the Ombudsman from filing the P728-million plunder case against him before the Sandiganbayan.

In a 31-page petition, Bolante urged the high court to issue a temporary restraining order on the order of the Office of the Ombudsman through acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro.

Last week, the Ombudsman dismissed the motions for reconsideration filed by former Agriculture Secretary Luis Ramon “Cito” P. Lorenzo, Bolante, former Agriculture Assistant Secretary Ibarra T. Poliquit and other former high-ranking officials of the Department of Agriculture for failure to raise new issues that would warrant a reversal of the findings of probable cause against them.—Tetch Torres