Fertilizer Fund Scam
Encyclopedia
The Fertilizer Fund Scam is a Philippine
political controversy involving accusations that Agriculture Undersecretary
Jocelyn Bolante
diverted P
728 million in fertilizer funds to the 2004 election campaign of President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
.
reported that Senator Panfilo Lacson
accused President Arroyo
of vote-buying by authorizing the release of ₱728 million. The money was supposedly to be used for the purchase of fertilizers which would be distributed to the local officials.
After a year, an episode of the Probe Team reported that some farmers claimed that they did not receive fertilizers from the funds released by the Department of Agriculture. A Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)
special report was released later saying that billions of farm funds were used to fund the presidential campaign of Arroyo.
was the Agriculture Undersecretary when the fertilizer fund scam erupted. He is accused of diverting at least ₱728 million in fertilizer funds to President Arroyo's 2004 election campaign.
When the controversy broke out in 2006, Bolante fled to the US and sought asylum, but his petition was denied by the US courts and he was eventually deported.
Bolante arrived in the Philippines on 28 October 2008. Upon his arrival, the Senate effected the warrant on Bolante, initially holding him under hospital arrest.
After a month, Bolante appeared on the Senate for the first time. He denies that the money was misused stating that there was no fertilizer scam despite the findings of the Commission on Audit that there was ‘excessive overpricing’ of the liquid fertilizer purchased by Bolante's proponents. He cleared President Arroyo from any direct involvement. He also cleared the congressmen and other local officials implicated in the fertilizer fund scam.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
political controversy involving accusations that Agriculture Undersecretary
Department of Agriculture (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Agriculture , abbreviated as DA, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for boosting the income of farmers as well as reducing the incidence of poverty in the rural sector, as stipulated inthe Government's Medium Term Philippine...
Jocelyn Bolante
Jocelyn Bolante
Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante is a Filipino politician who formerly served as an Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines. He was implicated by the Philippine Senate to the ongoing investigation related to corruption concerning fertilizer funding while serving as a government...
diverted P
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
728 million in fertilizer funds to the 2004 election campaign of President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
.
Details
In March 2004, the Philippine Daily InquirerPhilippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
reported that Senator Panfilo Lacson
Panfilo Lacson
Panfilo "Ping" Morena Lacson, Sr. is a Filipino politician. He was Director-General of the Philippine National Police from 1999 to 2001 and has been a member of the Philippine Senate since 2001.-Early life and education:...
accused President Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
of vote-buying by authorizing the release of ₱728 million. The money was supposedly to be used for the purchase of fertilizers which would be distributed to the local officials.
After a year, an episode of the Probe Team reported that some farmers claimed that they did not receive fertilizers from the funds released by the Department of Agriculture. A Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism is a non-profit media organization specializing in investigative journalism. It is based in Quezon City, Philippines. Established in 1989 by nine Filipino journalists, the organization funds investigative projects for both the print and broadcast...
special report was released later saying that billions of farm funds were used to fund the presidential campaign of Arroyo.
Jocelyn Bolante
Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" BolanteJocelyn Bolante
Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante is a Filipino politician who formerly served as an Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines. He was implicated by the Philippine Senate to the ongoing investigation related to corruption concerning fertilizer funding while serving as a government...
was the Agriculture Undersecretary when the fertilizer fund scam erupted. He is accused of diverting at least ₱728 million in fertilizer funds to President Arroyo's 2004 election campaign.
When the controversy broke out in 2006, Bolante fled to the US and sought asylum, but his petition was denied by the US courts and he was eventually deported.
Bolante arrived in the Philippines on 28 October 2008. Upon his arrival, the Senate effected the warrant on Bolante, initially holding him under hospital arrest.
After a month, Bolante appeared on the Senate for the first time. He denies that the money was misused stating that there was no fertilizer scam despite the findings of the Commission on Audit that there was ‘excessive overpricing’ of the liquid fertilizer purchased by Bolante's proponents. He cleared President Arroyo from any direct involvement. He also cleared the congressmen and other local officials implicated in the fertilizer fund scam.