Press Release
November 13, 2008

Transcript of the privileged motion of Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri

Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri: Mr. Chair, mine is a privileged motion to clear the air on my name in the so-called list of recipients of the fertilizer fund.

Mr. Chairman, to speed up the transparency, allow me to make a manifestation before this august Chamber. In 2004, this representation who was then a Congressman in the 3rd District of Bukidnon, did not accept - was offered and did not accept, the P5 Million implementation of the farm inputs and farm implements program of the Department of Agriculture. Me, being an agriculturalist, ladies and gentlemen, a trained and educated agriculturist, knew for a fact that those foliar fertilizers were not what were needed by our farmers in the 3rd Dist. of Bukidnon, especially as those fertilizers were more for ornamental application. So I secured, Mr. Charman, from the late Director Rufo Chan Jr., Region X, dated May 17, 2004, a certification stating that I did not touch a single centavo of this fund and it was still unutilized up to this point.

Mr. Chairman, I had already forgotten that there was this P5 Million fertilizer allocation for the 3rd Dist. of Bukidnon but sometime September of 2004, the late Regional Director Rufo Chan, once again called me and said, "Congressman Zubiri, may pondo ka doon sa amin, P5 Million for inputs and implements. What do you want to do with it?"

Being a dutiful congressman who needs funds for their districts, I had asked him. He asked me, "Do you still want the fertilizer?" Sabi ko, "No, ayaw ko ng fertilizer. Hindi kailangan ng aming mga magsasaka 'yan. Ang kailangan naming mga magsasaka ay kalsada at tulay." So I referred that to then Secretary Yap, who then referred my request to Secretary Boncodin in a properly documented manner. So there was a Special Allotment Release Order from the DBM ordering the DA to give me P5 Million worth of roads and bridges to allay the suspicion that there was any malversation of funds because there are innuendos that I had utilized the fund of fertilizer to build roads - which could be a malversation of funds. This is properly documented and properly requested (to) from the right agencies, Mr. Chairman.

And I would just like to state again that these farm-to-market roads were completed in 2006, and the COA has audited the implementation of the said project. I did not find any irregularity. As a matter of fact, I have pictures of the roads to prove, and the documents to prove the fact that I didi not touch this - that our district, my father and my district, did not receive a single ounce of foliar fertilizer, a single drop of foliar fertilizer.

To prove the matter, I will submit all these documents to the Committee. And for the sense of delicadeza and fair play, I inhibit myself from the proceedings.

However, on another point, Mr Chairman, I think this is very important. I condemn some acts by certain media outlets to besmirch my reputation and my name. They picture me as a conspirator in a plot to stifle the truth, to stifle these proceedings. Mr. Chairman, that is a blatant lie, two editorials by the same newspaper. One alleged that I am trying to maneuver a friendly closure to the investigation.

And another one, Mr. Chair, of the same newspaper, claims that I'm this grateful stooge. Let me answer point by point, Mr. Chair. On the issue to try to conspire to stifle the truth, let me repeat, that is a lie. That is a lie because I never approached neither one of you to ask you to slow down. I never approached the chair. I never approached any of my colleagues.

Number two. I never filed any resolution. I never had any letter to that effect, Mr. Chairman. All that was asked from me was my opinion. When I was attending the budget hearings, together with Senator Angara, I was asked by the media, "What do you think about the case of Jocjoc Bolante?" I told them, "I would rather see a judicial warrant of arrest so that the trial - I mean, that justice will prevail and the truth will come out." That is all I said and "so that we don't have a circus here in the Senate and we don't fight among each other." It was a mere opinion.

And now because of their agenda, I do not know what their agenda is, they are now claiming that I am part of a conspiracy to stifle the truth. I is so unfair, Mr. Chairman, especially calling me a stooge when many of my colleagues know my stand in the MOA - the MOA with the MILF, I went against the administration.

Even my stand on Charter change: I am for a Constitutional Convention which is also running counter to the Administration. How dare they call me a grateful stooge. And, my golly, when that newspaper was attacked and the advertisers pulled out, I was one of those who stood by them and rallied against that move at that time.

All I ask is fair play, Mr. Chairman, and I challenge them now for a chance to reply, not even a right to reply, a chance to reply; that I challenge them to print my manifestation here word for word so that it is not taken out of context.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you for the time. And for this hearing, I want to put on record, that I wish and pray that the truth will come out, that justice will prevail and the Heavens fall where it may.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chairman (Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano): Your statements are entered into the record and I noted. To prevent confusion, especially because there are 2,000 pages of documents and many of these sources are not official sources. Because although Senator Joker Arroyo, and of course, Senator Magsaysay did a brilliant job, they really are the ones to thank, Senator Magsaysay, where we are today. We did not receive the cooperation we needed from the departments.

So to avoid confusion, Senator Zubiri, there are two SAROs: February 3, wherein the COA itself has already come out with its findings what districts, what municipalities, what cities received. Then there's the February 11 which is the source of confusion because there were several names, again including Congressman Locsin, Congresswoman Villar, myself, etcetera, who have already been cleared by the Department because - this list - they denied.

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