Only P50M, not P105M, went to firm involved in fertilizer scam

MANILA, Philippines - The fertilizer company that allegedly cornered most of the deal in the P728-million fertilizer fund on Monday claimed only P50-million went to their firm. Julie Gregorio, president of Feshan Philippines Inc, said they sold only P50-million worth of fertilizer and the P105-million sales were credited to the company as stated in the report of the Commission on Audit. Gregorio said the landed cost of their fertilizer was P463 per liter and they sold it for P600. However, according to the report of the COA, the government paid P1,500 per liter of the fertilizer. The company recorded P105-million in its books because it was the order of Maritess Aytona, alleged runner of former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante, Gregorio said. Aytona also told her to hire an accountant to “balance" their books, she said. “Si Ms Aytona nagsabi na ipasok ang P105-million. Meron kaming accountant na gumawa noon (Ms Aytona told me to put P105-million as our sales in our book. We hired an accountant to do it)," Gregorio said. Gregorio first looked at the direction of Aytona who was seated on her left before answering the question raised by Senator Richard Gordon. The Senate Blue Ribbon Chairman asked Gregorio who ordered her to put P105-million sales in their books even though it is not the real amount of the fertilizer the company sold. She said the group of Leonicia Llarena, who allegedly gave money for the initial delivery of stocks, borrowed her documents. “Ginamit ang invoice ng Feshan kaya P105-million ang nasa record din (They used the invoice of Feshan so the P105-million was on our record)," Gregorio said. She admitted that she availed of the tax amnesty program of the Bureau of Internal Revenue "to get out of the criminal liability" and to allow her company not to pay tax for P105-million sales. After availing the tax amnesty, Feshan only paid P507,000 tax, Gordon said citing a document secured by the committee from the BIR. Gregorio said a bank account was opened by a certain Mallen Arraon, an alleged staff of Aytona, where the P50-million sales on the fertilizer was deposited. Aytona denied that she was the one who ordered Gregorio to put P105-million on their books and she advised her to hire an accountant to balance the books. - GMANews.TV