fertilizer scam – ellen tordesillas

No letup in truth-telling for VERA Files

Published by Ellen on January 13, 2025

After the initial jolt over the announcement of Meta that it is ending its third-party fact-checking program starting in the United States, we reminded ourselves that VERA Files was VERA Files before we became a third-party fact-checker for Facebook, as Meta was known in 2018.

We were then a 10-year-old organization producing in-depth reports that helped the public understand better issues affecting their daily lives so that their decisions would be based on facts.

Immediately following last Tuesday’s announcement, Meta told us that our 2025 fact-checking agreement remains unchanged.

As we said in a statement we released last Wednesday, we will continue doing our work of informing the public with the truth.

GMA’s second ascent

Published by Ellen on July 24, 2018

Gloria Arroyo – in a red- orange dress taking control of the situation at the Batasan Session Hall last Monday- was a personification of what German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche said,“That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.”

It is shuddering to imagine what a re-invigorated GMA can and will do.

She stayed in Malacañang for ten years with a dubious mandate. A vice president in 2001, she grabbed power from then President Joseph Estrada by installing herself to the presidency that was not declared vacant. She cheated, using the Commission on Elections and the military, in the 2004 elections.

In the unforgettable words of Susan Roces, the widow of her victim, Fernando Poe, Jr: “… you have stolen the presidency, not once, but twice.”

Senate indicators

Published by Ellen on March 10, 2011

When it rains, it pours.

After years of being protected by Gloria Arroyo’s Malacañang, House of Representatives,and Supreme Court, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez is getting it from all directions.

Click on related documents:

Executive Summary Blue Ribbon report on Carlos Garcia Plea BargainAgreement

BLUE RIBBONCOMMITTEE REPORT Garcia plea bargain

Last Monday, the House Justice committee voted that there’s probable cause to impeach Gutierrez for betrayal of public trust on five cases at the same time that the Supreme Court denied with finality her motion for reconsideration to stop the House from proceeding with her impeachment.

Aquino urged to run after ex-DA chief for fertilizer scam

Published by Ellen on July 6, 2010

Despite his brothers P20 million contribution to Aquino campaign

by Lynda Jumilla
ABS-CBN

Among the scandals and controversies that the newly installed Aquino administration wants to revisit is the P728 million fertilizer scam, where public funds intended for farmers were allegedly diverted to former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s 2004 election campaign.

Just days after President Aquino ordered an investigation into corruption allegations by a still-to-be-created “truth commission,” former Agriculture Secretary Cito Lorenzo was spotted last Saturday night at a party of Aquino-Binay supporters.

Like his Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante, who was tagged by the Senate as the architect of the fertilizer scam, Lorenzo left the country sometime in 2006 to avoid having to testify in the Senate investigation and has since returned.

Mercy, Abalos in a moro-moro

Published by Ellen on March 3, 2009

Malacañang is coming out with a masterpiece to divert attention from the unholy alliance between Gloria and Mike Arroyo and Merceditas Gutierrez, the Ombudsman.

A highly reliable source said anytime soon the Ombudsman will be filing a graft case with the Sandigan against Benjamin Abalos, the former chairman of the Commission on Election who was exposed to be brokering a $329.5 million national broadband network project for a Chinese firm, ZTE Corp.

Abalos is the subject of two complaints (filed separately by lawyers Ernesto Francisco and Harry Roque) before the Ombudsman in connection with ZTE deal for violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Code of Conduct for Government officials. It will be recalled that Abalos offered then NEDA chief Romulo Neri P200 million to endorse the ZTE contract which was allegedly overpriced by P9 billion. The peso equivalent of the Abalos-packaged ZTE deal was P14.8 billion.

Patuloy ang laban para sa katotohanan

Published by Ellen on December 27, 2008

Buhay pa ba kayo pagkatapos ng Christmas sa Pilipinas?

Masaya na nakakapagod ang Christmas dito sa Pilipinas. Ngunit ang mahalaga ay buhay ang buod ng Pasko, magkasama-sama man o magkakalayo.

Ngayon ang ating haharapin ay ang bagong taon.

Lahat tayo ay umaasa na sana mas maayos ang 2009. Sa akin, magiging maayos lamang ang palakad ng ating bansa kung mahinto ang panloloko ng sambayanan. At hindi mahihinto ang panloloko ng sambayanan habang si Gloria Arroyo ang nagpapalakad ng bansa.

Lessons for Arroyo in Senate coup

Published by Ellen on November 18, 2008

Senator Panfilo Lacson told ANC after Juan Ponce-Enrile was sworn in as senate president after Manny Villar resigned, that “Nothing is spontaneous here in the Senate. These things are planned.”

To recall, Villar, who was re-elected as senator in 2007 under the Genuine Opposition ticket, was installed as senate president last July with a vote of 15-7 by what was described as a “mongrel” majority that included all of Malacañang allies. Given that kind of support base, Villar has been doing a delicate balancing act between Malacañang’s interest and the public’s expectation for the Senate to do a fiscalizing role to the Arroyo administration’s brazen violations of the Constitution.

Although initiated by four opposition senators – Lacson, Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas and Jamby Madrigal, Villar’s ouster last Monday was made possible when the very same people who were his allies just more than a year ago abandoned him.

Joc-joc clears Gloria; senators dumbstruck

Published by Ellen on November 13, 2008

Download audio files of Nov. 13 Senate hearing
Download documents related to fertilizer fund scam

VERA FILES

by JP Lopez and Dennis Gadil
Malaya

The former agriculture undersecretary tagged as master architect in the illegal diversion of P728 million in fertilizer funds in 2004 yesterday cleared his “benefactor” President Arroyo.

But senators, both allies and critics of the President, were unconvinced about the claim of Jocelyn “Joc Joc” Bolante, saying it is hard to accept that such huge amount would be released without presidential approval.

Rotarian tell Bolante: tell the truth

Published by Ellen on November 11, 2008

In many of the exhortations to former Agriculture Secretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante to tell the truth about the P728 million fertilizer scam, he is always reminded of the Rotary’s four way test: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Many Rotarians are dismayed that the name of the prestigious organization has been dragged into this Bolante mess. As director of Rotary International, Bolante had used his official Rotary duties in evading Senate arrest.

Multuhin sana sila ni Marlene Esperat

Published by Ellen on November 8, 2008

marlene-esperat Ito ang nasabi ng abogadong si Harry Roque nang malaman niya na ibinasura ng Ombudsman ang kasong isinampa ni Marlene Esperat laban kina Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap, dating Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante, sa salang ilegal na paggamit ng pondo ng bayan.

Ito ang kasong kaugnay sa P728 milyon para sa abono ng mahihirap na magsasaka na ginamit para pambili ng boto para kay Gloria Arroyo noong eleksyon ng 2004.

Ang resolusyon ay inaprubahan ni Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro at Assistant Ombudsman Jose de Jesus Jr base sa rekomendasyon ni Director Elvira Chua ng Preliminary Investigation, Administrative Adjudication and Monitoring Bureau ng Ombudsman.

Siyempre lahat yun aprubado ni Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez na kaklase at matalik na kaibigan ni Mike Arroyo.

Category: fertilizer scam