Senate cancels fertilizer fund hearing; witnesses fear arrest

The Senate committee on food and agriculture on Monday cancelled its hearing into the multi-million peso agriculture fund controversy amid fears that that the invited witnesses could be arrested under Proclamation 1017. Committee chairman Sen. Ramon Magsaysay said the witnesses called him and his chief of staff, lawyer Jojo Buenviaje, over the weekend and aired their apprehension about their appearance before the panel. "The witnesses are at risk. They might be arrested and accused of helping in the destabilization of the government," Magsaysay said. Three witnesses were invited to attend this morning's hearing at 10 a.m. - a congressman, a governor and a assistant regional director of the Department of Agriculture (DA). Magsaysay refused to reveal their identities. The witnesses would instead submit their signed affidavits to Magsaysay's office on Monday. The Magsaysay panel is looking into allegations that some P728 million in DA funds for farm modernization and fertilizer acquisition were diverted to the campaign chest of President Arroyo during the 2004 presidential elections. It has come up with an initial report and has tagged former DA undersecretary for finance Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante as the brains behind the illegal diversion of public funds.-GMANews.TV