Press Release
February 2, 2006
BOLANTE LAWYER SHOULD EXPLAIN LEGAL 'ADVICE' LACSON
For advising his client not to appear before a Senate inquiry into
the multimillion-peso fertilizer scam probe, the lawyer of former
agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante may find
himself in hot water.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Thursday that lawyer Antonio Zulueta will
have to explain before the Senate committee on agriculture why he
should not be charged criminally for obstructing a valid legislative
inquiry.
"This morning, Atty. Zulueta said on radio that he advised Mr.
Bolante not to appear before the Senate hearing. If that is the
case, that is tantamount to obstruction of justice and may make him
criminally liable," Lacson said.
He noted that Bolante remains a key figure in the multimillion-peso
fertilizer fund scam, where some P728 million in agriculture funds
were diverted to fund Mrs. Gloria Arroyo's presidential bid in 2004.
Zulueta said in a radio interview that he advised Bolante to "wait"
for the decision of the Supreme Court on their petition before
appearing in the Senate probe. The petition asked the high court for
a temporary restraining order on a standing Senate warrant for
Bolante's arrest.
Lacson said he has written Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., chairman of the
Senate committee on agriculture, and asked him to summon Zulueta and
demand an explanation for his advice.
"I wrote Sen. Magsaysay to summon (Zulueta), and to file the
appropriate charges against him. At the very least, he should be
made to explain before the Senate committee on agriculture why he
gave Bolante such advice," he said.
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