Key personalities in fertilizer fund scam
should be hauled to court--Gordon

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon has said that the key personalities in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam, led by former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante, alleged architect, should be hauled to court and not allowed to go away scot-free.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said key personalities in the fund scam should still be charged in court especially with the evidences the panel has unearthed during its probe into the fertilizer project.

"The culprits should not go scot-free because we are practically handing the evidence to the Ombudsman on a silver platter, and we have sufficient evidence, both oral and documentary, to warrant the filing of charges," he said at the "Kapihan sa Sulo" in Sulo Hotel in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, Gordon said the committee is set to propose on its preliminary report some remedial measures intended to fill up gaps and loopholes in at least four national laws to prevent devious individuals from taking undue advantage of the present defects of these laws to defraud the government.

"Our role is to come out with legislation and the measures that we intend to file to amend several laws had been prepared," he said.

Among these laws are the 2001 Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, the Secrecy of Bank Deposits Act, the Government Procurement Reform Act, and the Omnibus Election Code.

Aside from Bolante, other personalities who surfaced after Gordon took over as chairman of the blue ribbon panel included Jimmy Paule, Marites Aytona, Leonicia Llarena, Julie Gregorio, Reden Antolin, and Marilyn Araos, among others whose testimonies gave a clear picture of how the whole operation worked.

Gordon said the Department of Justice (DOJ) should charge the personalities for evasive and false testimony and disobedience to lawful summons.

He cited the charges of false testimony and disobedience to summons that the panel filed before the DOJ against Bolante last year.

Gordon added the Ombudsman can also file charges of plunder, money laundering, tax evasion, and other graft charges.