Editorial

Rotary Four Way Test

Mr. Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante, former undersecretary of Agriculture miserably failed the Four Way Test of Rotary. This conclusion is reached after hearing his testimonies during the Senate hearing of the P728 million Fertilizer Fund Scam. Bolante’s testimonies were made before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee made on Thursday, November 13, 2008.

The Four Way Test of Rotary Clubs is asked on the things people say and do.

Mr. Bolante is the suspected architect of the P728 million Fertilizer Fund Scam which the Commission on Audit (COA) Director Flerida Jimenez confirmed this fertilizer project has no system followed in the distribution to establish accountability. In the testimony of Ms. Jimenez during the House of Representatives hearing, she testified that the audit was mostly done at the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Units. It was focused on the disbursement of fertilizer fund to congressional districts. On the other hand, the audit of the fund obtained by governors and mayors was handled by the COA local government auditors, Jimenez explained.

Bolante is said to have directed the distribution of the fertilizer fund to backers of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the last presidential election campaign in 2004.

Mr. Bolante is a top official of Rotary International. He was past president of a Rotary Club, a past district governor. At the time his visa was cancelled three years ago, he was top officer of Rotary International. One qualification of a member of a Rotary Club is his/her being a member of good standing in the community. Perhaps, the Rotary Club where Bolante belongs has done something on his membership by now.

The first test in Rotary is “Is it the Truth”? Many believed, Mr. Bolante lied when he was asked who vouchsafed him that he became undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture. He replied, “I didn’t know”. Is it the true answer? In the Philippine government, nobody can be appointed even to the position of a janitor with nobody recommending him/her. How much more of an undersecretary?

The second test is “Is it fair to all concerned?” Certainly, what was done of the P728 fertilizer fund was highly unfair to the farmers. That money is supposed to help the Filipino farmers raise food at reduced cost of production, but the way it was, it did not served the purpose. The Filipino farmers were taken for a ride. Here is a model, the P728 million fund for agriculture, how to skin further the depressed and disadvantaged members of Philippine society, the farmers.

“Well, it build GOODWILL and better UNDERSTANDING?” is the third test which Mr. Bolante failed miserably. His action resulted to bad-will instead of goodwill and enemies instead of friendship. His US visa was cancelled, was investigated in the US and now here in the Philippines.

And the fourth test is, “will it be beneficial to all concerned?” This is another failure. Because of Mr. Bolante’s action, several men and women were suspects of corruption. In Aklan, three officials were suspects who are Cong. Florencio T. Miraflores, Vice Gov. Gabrielle V. Calizo and Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo of the Ati-atihan town of Kalibo. Even if the Aklanons tend to believe they were not involved, their names were already destroyed in other provinces and cities of the Philippines and even abroad. Mr. Bolante’s testimonies before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee presided by Sen. Peter Alan Cayetano were depleted of truth, fairness, failed to build goodwill and better friendship and devoid of benefits to the group of persons concerned. /MP