Saturday, July 15, 2006
Mayor claims being victim of fertilizer fund scam
By Lizanilla J. Amarga and Joey P. Nacalaban
AMID the arrest of the primary person involved in the P2.8-billion fertilizer scam, Mayor Vicente Emano recently said his signature was forged in documents relating to this controversy.
But former Misamis Oriental Governor Antonio Calingin, the mayor's former political ally, is not convinced, saying if it were true the mayor should have immediately filed charges against those who forged his signature.
In a radio interview, Emano revealed there were papers linking him to this fertilizer scam controversy but that his signature in these documents was forged.
"Clearly, my signature in these documents was forged as the name that appears as my signature spelled out my entire name Vicente Y. Emano, which is not my signature," he said in the dialect. "The person who forged my name also used a ballpoint pen with blue ink when I always use a green one."
Earlier, Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. reported that around P2.8 billion of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program was probably used in the 2004 presidential election with former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante as "architect of the scam."
Magsaysay, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture, issued a preliminary report on his committee's investigation into the alleged fertilizer scandal that asserted the use of the fund "to favor administration candidates."
When Bolante was summoned by the Senate for an investigation, the former was reported to have already fled the country.
Recently, the United States Government arrested Bolante, not over the fertilizer scam, but for some issues concerning his visa.
There were reports that tagged administration candidates Cagayan de Oro lone Representative Constantino Jaraula and Emano as allegedly receiving huge amounts of money from this P2.8 billion Ginintuang Masaganang Ani Program.
Jaraula earlier denied being involved in this fertilizer scam controversy while Emano just last Wednesday admitted there were documents linking him to this controversy but that his signature in these papers was forged.
But Calingin is convinced that there is something fishy with Emano's claim that his signature was forged in documents relating to this fertilizer scam issue.
This particularly when it was made only after Bolante was arrested in foreign soil.
"Emano is trying to pre-empt any statement that Bolante might issue particularly as he has already been arrested," he told Sun.Star Friday.
He said the person who forges another's signature generally would exert his utmost efforts to copy the strokes and even the kind of pen and ink color used to sign documents.
"But how would Emano know the pen that was used to forge his signature was colored blue when the documents that probably reached his hands are only machine copies of the original," he said.
Calingin said the best way to determine whether Emano is actually telling the truth is for him to formally file legal charges against those responsible for such forgery.
"What Emano is saying is difficult to believe and in such cases what usually happens is that Emano will then point the blame on Jaraula," he said.
Mayor claims being victim of fertilizer fund scam
By Lizanilla J. Amarga and Joey P. Nacalaban
AMID the arrest of the primary person involved in the P2.8-billion fertilizer scam, Mayor Vicente Emano recently said his signature was forged in documents relating to this controversy.
But former Misamis Oriental Governor Antonio Calingin, the mayor's former political ally, is not convinced, saying if it were true the mayor should have immediately filed charges against those who forged his signature.
In a radio interview, Emano revealed there were papers linking him to this fertilizer scam controversy but that his signature in these documents was forged.
"Clearly, my signature in these documents was forged as the name that appears as my signature spelled out my entire name Vicente Y. Emano, which is not my signature," he said in the dialect. "The person who forged my name also used a ballpoint pen with blue ink when I always use a green one."
Earlier, Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. reported that around P2.8 billion of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program was probably used in the 2004 presidential election with former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante as "architect of the scam."
Magsaysay, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture, issued a preliminary report on his committee's investigation into the alleged fertilizer scandal that asserted the use of the fund "to favor administration candidates."
When Bolante was summoned by the Senate for an investigation, the former was reported to have already fled the country.
Recently, the United States Government arrested Bolante, not over the fertilizer scam, but for some issues concerning his visa.
There were reports that tagged administration candidates Cagayan de Oro lone Representative Constantino Jaraula and Emano as allegedly receiving huge amounts of money from this P2.8 billion Ginintuang Masaganang Ani Program.
Jaraula earlier denied being involved in this fertilizer scam controversy while Emano just last Wednesday admitted there were documents linking him to this controversy but that his signature in these papers was forged.
But Calingin is convinced that there is something fishy with Emano's claim that his signature was forged in documents relating to this fertilizer scam issue.
This particularly when it was made only after Bolante was arrested in foreign soil.
"Emano is trying to pre-empt any statement that Bolante might issue particularly as he has already been arrested," he told Sun.Star Friday.
He said the person who forges another's signature generally would exert his utmost efforts to copy the strokes and even the kind of pen and ink color used to sign documents.
"But how would Emano know the pen that was used to forge his signature was colored blue when the documents that probably reached his hands are only machine copies of the original," he said.
Calingin said the best way to determine whether Emano is actually telling the truth is for him to formally file legal charges against those responsible for such forgery.
"What Emano is saying is difficult to believe and in such cases what usually happens is that Emano will then point the blame on Jaraula," he said.
posted by puretuts at 3:54 PM
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