News update No favors for ex-DA chief from government — Lacierda
Former Agriculture Secretary Luis "Cito" Lorenzo Jr., the superior of alleged fertilizer fund scam architect Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante, will receive no favors from the government even though his brother contributed P20 million to President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's campaign.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda made the statement Wednesday amid reports that Lorenzo, whose brother Martin contributed to Aquino's campaign, talked to the President upon Lorenzo's return to the country.
"Nung nagbigay ng pera na donation si Martin Lorenzo, maliwanag – hindi lang kay Martin Lorenzo kundi sa lahat ng nagbigay – na walang strings attached yung campaign donation nila (When Martin Lorenzo gave his donation, he and all other contributors knew that there are no strings attached to their campaign donations)," Lacierda told reporters in an interview in Manila.
Lacierda said the investigation of the P728-million fertilizer fund scam is under the jurisdiction of the still-to-be-formed Truth Commission to be headed by retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.
"Kung sakaling imbestigahan na ang fertilizer fund scam ito ay sakop ng Truth Commission na isang independent body. Hindi ho makikialam ang executive diyan (If the fertilizer fund scam is tackled, it will be under the Truth Commission which is an independent body. The executive will not interfere)," he said.
On Tuesday, lawyer Harry Roque of the CenterLaw Philippines called on Lorenzo to disclose whatever knowledge he has on the fertilizer fund scam.
"Mayroon siyang moral na obligasyon bilang dating kalihim, na isiwalat kung anong nalalaman niya (He has a moral obligation as a former government official to help in the investigation by revealing what he knows about the scam)," Roque told GMA Network's "24 Oras" news program.
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Like Bolante, Lorenzo fled the country in 2006 to escape a Senate investigation on the fertilizer fund scam. Bolante was deported to the Philippines on Oct. 27, 2008.
During the 13th Congress, Lorenzo was among those recommended by the Senate to face criminal charges in connection with the fertilizer fund scam. At the time, however, the Office of the Ombudsman did not act on the recommendations.
On Feb. 23, 2009, the Senate recommended plunder charges to be filed against Bolante and other officials. Lorenzo was not one of them since never got to testify again following his departure from the country.
The Office of the Ombudsman, the body that investigates wrongdoings by government officials, has yet to act on the Senate recommendation. — with inputs from Amita Legaspi/RSJ/LBG
