pinoyobserver.com » fertilizer scam

Arroyo hits critics

Ricky Rivera — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:33:53 +0000

Mrs. Arroyo just lambasted her critics for alleged political shamanism in the face of an impending financial crisis to hit us in the first quarter of 2009. She said that protests are ill-timed and ill-advised. We should all be uniting behind her to effect reforms.

Question–did the Filipino People made these controversies all up? Were we the ones who…

Stole 3 billion pesos to fund a very controversial Hello Garci election scandal?
Got 6.5 million for a trip of eight PNP generals?
Caused the failure of a peace pact with Bangsamoro rebels?
Nearly stole 8 billion pesos from a deficient ZTE telecommunications deals?
Selling Philippine patrimony to foreigners?
Denuding our forests to satisfy the resource requirements of emerging economies such as giant China?
Promoted nepotism and destroyed professionalism in the career services?
Allowed the pardon of convicted rapists, murderers and sadists?

Let me re-publish one letter to the editor sent by an Inquirer reader here:

‘Godmother’ rules Philippine ‘gangland’

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:15:00 11/01/2008

Most Read

It’s really dismaying to watch the news and read the papers. An agriculture official diverted fertilizer funds for election purposes, a top election official sealed a deal to modernize elections with a bogus company, and a presidential candidate called an election commissioner during the canvassing of votes.

Let’s not forget a US Marine/rapist was smuggled out of Philippine jurisdiction, a convicted plunderer was pardoned, and an arrogant murderer was recently granted clemency. Now a former police comptroller is under fire for carrying more cash than allowed in Russia or anywhere but here. Slowly but surely our country is beginning to look like a very bad movie—except that it’s real.

I suggest we drop all pretenses and just declare once and for all that we no longer deserve the name “Republika ng Pilipinas.”

Our beautiful Philippines is looking more and more like a gangland. It’s now home to the most successful Mafia-like syndicate there is in any part of the world. Just like in the movies, the syndicate’s bosses appear respectable, they go to church on Sundays, and have nice real mansions, clothes and cars. But here, unlike anywhere else, they also run our country.

Here they can have you abducted or killed in broad daylight, especially if you (a) are an activist and (b) a journalist critical of government anomalies, or for no particular reason at all. Here they drive around in those big SUVs with armed escorts who will not hesitate to bully anyone who gets in their way.

Yes, they belong to The Family that rules the country. This Family is headed by a godmother, who is also the patron of convicted rapists, plunderers, murderers and election cheats. Human rights? They can’t be found around these parts of the planet.

JOSHUA REY P. CENTRO (via email)

Bolante is a losing proposition

Ricky Rivera — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:48:24 +0000

Like a thief arriving in the dead of the night, former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante is expected to arrive close to midnight tonight on board Northwest Airlines flight 71. Bolante, who’s being tagged as the architect of the 756 million fertilizer fund scam, is expected to arrive at the NAIA. He’ll be turned over by US marshalls to waiting immigration officials, who will then turn him over to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The NBI, in turn, will hand Bolante over to the Senate arresting team.

Though Bolante’s counsels appealed to the Supreme Court for a temporary restraining order on the implementation of the Senate’s arrest warrant, lawyers failed to get it. The Justices are on leave and no one acted upon the appeal. Bolante is expected to spend the night at the Senate holding office.

Many expect Bolante to do the right thing–exposed who really benefitted from the scam. Though the Senate Committee on Agriculture already concluded their probe on the controversy and has established introvertible proof of Bolante’s complicity on the scam, nonetheless, there’s still no closure on the issue.

One thing and one thing alone separates Bolante from greatness and that is fear. For Bolante, his situation is actually not a win-win but a loss-loss.

Bolante does not enjoy the luxury of time. For one, his supposed “protector” is on her last years in office. Like him, Gloria faces a very tough post-term scenario. Her political and non-political enemies have intimated their desire to pursue legal actions against her and her Cabinet officials involved in many of these scams. She might, probably, enter into compromise agreements with the new administration; yet, some sectors might want to continue pursuing legal actions against her and her family.

If she stays in power though, she faces very stiff opposition, even direct violence from democratic groups. If she stays here in the Philippines, she has a big chance of escaping prosecution, provided that she surrenders some “concessions”.

Now, if Bolante seeks succor from other officials, he may yet find himself in bigger trouble.

It’s logical for Bolante to think about securing himself and his family from further harm by just “letting it all out”. Unlike Jun Lozada who was actually forced to go to the other side, Bolante has no choice but go to the other side of the fence. If he fails to avail of this option, he might find himself deeper in trouble.

Asado o Bola-bolang katotohanan?

Ricky Rivera — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:47:55 +0000

Hindi ninyo ba napapansin? Habang papalapit ang pagdating ni Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante, lagi nating naririnig ang katagang “arkitekto” ng fertilizer scam. Maaaring totoo. O maaaring hindi. Pero, ang sigurado–ipinako na ng gobyerno ang lahat ng sisi kay Bolante.

Epektibong istratehiya ito dahil wala na tayong nakikitang midyang nagtuturo kay Gloria bilang totoong mastermind dito. At malamang, talagang si Bolante ang may pakana, pero, hindi ba natin uungkatin kung sino ang talagang nakinabang at maaaring siyang utak ng iskandalong ito?

Sino ang nag-udyok kay Bolante na walang takot na ipatupad ang scam na ito? Nasan ang limpak-limpak na salaping sinasabing itinago at hindi napakinabangan maging noong 2004 elections?

Maaaring hindi na natin malalaman ang tunay na istorya sapagkat tinapos na ng Senado ang kanilang imbestigasyon at tanging sa Ombusman na lamang ang pag-asa. Pero, sa inaasta ni Merceditas Gutierrez, ang kawalang aksyon ng ahensya sa kabila ng tatlong taong nakasampa ang kaso at malamlam na interes ng taumbayan sa pinuntahan ng kanilang buwis, malamang na mauwi sa wala ito.

Tulad ng karamihan sa mga iskandalong kinasangkutan ng mga opisyales de gobyerno, nauwi sa bula ang perang ninakaw ng mga kawatan. Ilang buwang inabot ang galit ng taumbayan. Pero, pagkatapos nito, unti-unting nawala sa mga pahayagan at nakalimutan.

Habang patuloy ang kawalang katarungan, palaki ng palaki ang pagnanakaw na ginagawa sa atin ng mga kawatan. Habang may nakakatakas sa katiwalian dahilan sa may tiwala sa kanila ang Malakanyang, lumalaki ang nawawala sa kaban ng bayan.

Magpapatuloy na magpapakapagod tayo sa pagbabayad ng buwis. Hihigit sa sampung milyong Pinoy ang lulunok ng sariling laway at magpapa-alila sa mga dayuhan, makatakas lamang sa napipintuhong kahirapan. At hindi iilan ang kakapit sa patalim, mabayaran lamang ang VAT, sanlaksang buwis, pati na mataas na kuryente’t gasolina, maituloy lamang ang pamumuhay sa ating lipunan.

Sabi nga ng ilan, life goes on. Let’s move forward at hintayin na lamang ang 2010. May pag-asa pa.

Nasasaan ang pag-asa? Pag-asang sa susunod na administrasyon, milyon-milyon na lamang ang kukubrahin ng mga kawatan at hindi na bilyon-bilyon?

Nasasaan ang pag-asa? Pag-asang magiging mumo na lamang at maibabaon sa limot ang mga katiwalian at kawalang-katarungang ginawa sa atin ng kasalukuyang administrasyon? Para na rin tayong nagparaya sa kabuktutan at kahalayan at pagkatapos magpakasarap ng animal na mananambong, tatalikod tayo at sasabihing, may pag-asa pa at kalilimutan ang kapalastanganan sa ating karangalan.

Sa pagbalik ng isang sinasabing kawatan na ni wala tayong narinig na sorry man lang, tanungin siguro natin ang ating mga sarili—bilang Pinoy, okey na ba tayo sa asado o sa bola-bola lang? Ito ba ang kapalit ng 756 milyong pisong pinuhunanan natin ng ating pagod sa pagtratrabaho makapagbayad lang ng buwis? Ang tanggaping ang katotohanan ay maaaring asadong may laman o isang siopao na may bola-bola.

Joc-joc bolante Vigil

Ricky Rivera — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 03:22:32 +0000

NEWS UPDATE: Joc-Joc Bolante failed to board the Northwest Airline flight 71 today. US Immigration says the former undersecretary is still in their custody. He’s expected to arrive Manila 8pm on October 31, 2008.

just help me figure this thing out…

justice secretary raul gonzales says, Joc-joc bolante can’t be arrested because there’s no pending warrant for his arrest. the senate, for its part, says the same thing. bolante is not anymore a government official. he’s considered as a ‘fugitive” from the law, if former senator magsaysay jr. is to be believed, basing on their investigation. the ombusman also said, they are still trying to figure out what case to file against bolante.

question–why is bolante to be turned over to the bureau of immigration and deportation and subsequently to the national bureau of investigation? likewise, i thought bolante is now “on his own”. why is there an official letter coming from the government’s corporate legal counsel reportedly standing as his representative to the supreme court?

bolante enjoys no immunity. he’s not a government official to have escorts. he did’nt violate any immigration law and as gonzales is to be believed, he’s not even a criminal. so, what’s the nbi arresting team for?

again, the palace is playing another word play.

Is Joc-Joc already in RP?

Ricky Rivera — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:02:22 +0000

Breaking news—is Joc-Joc Bolante now in the Philippines and being kept in a secured villa at Subic? That the expected arrival on the 31st of this month will just be a scripted one?

One of my highly-placed source in the community says that US immigration policy mandates the immediate repatriation (read: DEPORTATION) of a person who failed to pass the asylum test. Immediate repatriation means “immediate” as in pronto. I want to make this clear because Pinoys and Americans have totally different concepts when it comes to time.

If his asylum was rejected just recently, then, it would just take him at most 24 hours to arrive here.

A source also told me that Joc-Joc enplaned early in the morning and was whisked away immediately upon arrival. Is this true? If this is, indeed, the case, then, why the secrecy? Is the government preparing Joc-Joc Bolante for his bout against the Senators come November?

And if, indeed Joc-Joc Bolante is here, who is keeping him? Is it government functionaries or the opposition?

Bolante is the missing link

Ricky Rivera — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:48:45 +0000

INFAMOUS former Agriculture Undersecretary Joc-Joc Bolante is slated to arrive possibly next week. Bolante, who reportedly engineered the billion peso fertilizer scam, has been ordered deported by the US Immigration department after losing his assylum case. The Senate has been hot on the heels of Bolante since the conclusion of the Senate fertilizer scam probe. Senators are just waiting for him to land his feet at NAIA to arrest him.

Question–will the Arroyo administration allow Bolante to “spill the beans” so to speak before the Senate? Bolante is still a precious commodity, especially to Gloria. Will the administration let go of Bolante? And will Bolante’s testimony trigger widespread dissent against Gloria?

Seems like there’s already a “strategy” to effectively gag Bolante. A Cabinet portfolio waiting for him? Possibly. With the SC affirming “executive privilege”, that would effectively shield Bolante from Gloria’s enemies.

Question–is Bolante still in Gloria’s ambit of influence? Let’s wait and see.