WHAT IS "JOC-JOC" BOLANTE UP TO?

Headline story for the week was the Joc-Joc Bolante story which was also the "Joke of the Week" story. Joke-joke lang, as they say.
Two years in American prison and 14 days in plush St Lukes Hospital polished Joc-Joc's dramatic skills and perfected his legal defense - where he played a virtual Pontius Pilate.
In protecting his patrons, Joc-Joc Bolante dumped the blame on the Operations undersecretary, the regional DA heads the LGUs in general who were tasked to distribute the P 728-Million worth of fertilizers to the farmer-beneficiaries.
What appears to be facts now are: three Manila congressmen got cash for fertilizers, some urban-situated public officials got "so-called fertilizers" (fattening the asphalted highways and island plants) and the rest got fertilizers (after May to the rainy months). There were 105 congressmen, 53 governors and 26 municipal mayors or a total of 184 among "Bolante's List."
Some P14-million worth of fertilizers, and not cash, were given - P5 million for Governor Rico Aumentado and P3 million each for Representatives Chatto, Cajes and Jala the Elder. Accordingly, the Governor distributed them to 40 towns, Chatto to one town: Balilihan, Cajes to two: San Isidro and Dagohoy and Jala to one town: Bilar.
If the four local government officials can show proof that the beneficiaries are legitimate farmers and farmer-organizations, that should deem the items "liquidated." Needless to say, however, they should be able to defend the authenticity of these documents in Plaza Rizal, so to speak.
Bolante, accordingly, had his sweet time fabricating his defense thesis inside the air-conditioned comfort of a five star hospital - where due to the length of time, people thought he had undergone all sorts of tests - including the pregnancy test.
Since, Bolante has largely been ambivalent, his pregnancy test (sic) also declared He was "slightly pregnant," one for the Guinness Book of records.
Bolante, who has shamed thousands of honest and patriotic Rotarians the world over, was perceived to have twisted the truth to his convenience and dragging others just to save his skin.
One editorial is not enough to ask lucid, straight questions from one of the best Rotarian friends of the First Gentleman. But some of the few:
1. Since the budget allocation was hatched as early as September 2003, Secretary Art Yap (who was quickly made undersecretary for Luzon operations in February 2007) could not have been a party to the scheme. Bolante is deemed to be the "Architect" of the P728-million Fertilizer Mess.
2. How did a supplier by the name of Freshan Fertilzier which was organized for an electronics business in 1998 suddenly become a favored supplier for the entire package which was said to be overpriced by 1,000 percent? How rue is the allegation Joc-Joc allegedly pocketed 25% of the deal or P182 million?
3. How did he an undersecretary push P728 million out of the vaults of the Philippine Treasury - bypassing Secretary Cito Lorenzo when the P728-million, though part of the 2003 re-enacted budget is part of AFMA (Agriculture and Fishery Modernization Act) and therefore part of the SPF (Special Purpose Funds) - not the regular DA Budget. The SPF can only be released with the approval of the President.
4. Is it not true that the professional Cito Lorenzo resigned as DA Secretary - partly because he did not want the DA to be used as a campaign kitty for the 2004 presidential election? Lorenzo was later "sacked" by PGMA allegedly because she lost "heavily" in Mindanao areas where Cito had influence? If what senator Nene Pimentel is saying is true - that is pure and simple politicking by the Palace.
5. Is it true that the fertilizers were not only diluted with water but was useless in some areas like rice and high value crop areas because they were designed for ornamental plants? P728 million or 30% of the P3-billion AFMA funds for all this nonsense? Poor the farmers of this nation, indeed.
6. Would he like to answer how journalist Marlene Esperat who filed graft charges in Mindanao for another P400-million fertilizer mess against Bolante and other officials was gunned down before her own children?
7. Bolante said he wanted to stay in the USA because he feared for his own life - having received veiled threats from "enemies." Who are these "enemies" - those who Bolante cheated of benefits of public funds or those who participated in the plunder and didn't want him to talk?
Adding insult to injury, Ombudsman whose record as top graft buster is as dull as a scarecrow last week dismissed the P400-million graft case earlier filed by the late Esperat for "lack of substantial evidence." Top Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, another law classmate of the First Gentleman, has been dubbed as the Lady Aniano Desierto, whose integrity sometimes "deserted" him under duress.
Now, after the Jocjoc Senate hulabaloo, will our activist-lawyers still have the patience to file anti-graft charges against Joc-Joc and his comrades before this Ombudsman?
Meantime, the poor farmers after being used by the vaudeville of one Bolante et al. - had seen their crops, perhaps ,whither and die - nurtured as they were by overpriced, superbly diluted water - and chemical joke - and everything else that is unfair to the destitute in this nation of 90 million.
Joc-Joc Bolante, the joke has really been on us. Have a conscience.