The Senate committee investigating the release by the Department of Agriculture of the controversial liquid fertilizer fund before the May 2004 election is expected to summon Gov. Joseph Marañon, Vice Governor Isidro Zayco, Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson and former Rep. Alfredo Marañon to its hearings.

"I was told by someone from Manila that they will be summoned during the formal investigation, although they did not receive any of the liquid fertilizer fund," Jose Ma. Velencia, chief of staff of the governor said yesterday.

The four are expected to merely testify on the offers made to them, Valencia said, either before the Senate or the Ombudsman where charges have been filed by Negrense lawyer Frank Chavez against those responsible for the fertilizer fund.

Valencia said the governor did not refuse the P5 million fertilizer fund offer because he shifted support from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Fernando Poe in the presidential race, but because the process of its release was not quite proper, especially since it was already nearing election time.

Assistance from the national government is usually given directly to the local government unit by the DA, but in the fertilizer case, it had to pass through an NGO, he said.

The offer was, in fact, made even before the governor went to the side of Poe, Valencia added. The governor is currently on vacation in Singapore and has extended his leave until Feb. 17.

In an interview on June 1, 2004, the governor said he did not accept the P5 million agricultural fund offered to him by the administration before the elections because he did not want to sign a memorandum of agreement with a non-government organization he did not know, for the release of the amount.

Marañon gave the media a copy of the Memorandum of Agreement he was supposed to sign to avail of the P5 million for fertilizer offered by the administration in February 2004.

The MOA that Marañon had to sign with Merlina Suñas, president of the People's Organization for Progress and Development Foundation Inc., a non-government organization engaged in development activities, with principal address at EP Housing Village, Taguig, Metro Manila, was furnished to him by the person from the administration, whom he did not name.

Under the MOA, the Department of Agriculture Region VI would transfer the funds to the POPDF to finance the implementation of the proposed project -- "Financial assistance for the purchase of farm inputs of the province of Negros Occidental for agricultural reinforcement projects."

I did not subscribe to the idea that the P5 million for the project should pass through an NGO I had not heard of, Marañon said, pointing out that he would rather that the amount be given directly through the province, cooperatives, or to NGOs based in the province.

Senate President Franklin Drilon last week called on the Office of the Ombudsman to initiate its own investigation and file graft charges against DA and local government officials involved in the P728-million fertilizer scam.

The Senate President made the call after government auditors confirmed Thursday last week that the fertilizer used in the Ginintuang Masaganang program was overpriced by at least P127 million.

The DA fund was reportedly managed by controversial former DA undersecretary Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante, the alleged chief architect of the fertilizer fund program and a close associate of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

The opposition claimed the Arroyo administration had diverted the fertilizer funds to ensure the victory of President Arroyo in the May 2004 elections.*CPG

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