Jocjoc Bolante must have realized by now that he got the shorter end of the bargain when he agreed to Mike Arroyo’s bright idea for him to seek asylum in the United States instead of coming home to the Philippines and tell the Senate how he diverted the P728 million fertilizer fund to the campaign chest of Gloria Arroyo in the 2004 election.
Bolante has filed with a Wisconsin court a petition for the issuance of the writ of habeas corpus or release from jail. Earlier, he filed for a motion for bail and to strike out the amicus brief filed by the group of lawyer Harry Roque, Jr. of the Institute of International Legal Studies at the University, who submitted documents related to Bolante’s involvement in the fertilizer scam.
Bolante, as we all know,was the Arroyo couple’s most dependable Rotarian next to Efraim Genuino of Pagcor, when he was calling the shots at the Department of Agriculture where he was installed as undersecretary.
Bolante has been in detention for almost two months. He was arrested on July 7 at the Los Angeles airport for attempting to enter the United States with an expired B1B2 (business and tourist) visa. He was first detained at the San Pedro Detention Center in California. He asked for a transfer to Chicago where some members of his family lives. He is now at the Kenosha Detention Center in Wisconsin, an hour and a half by car from Chicago, where he is lumped with common criminals.
Roque said “Bolante probably didn’t expect to be detained this long by the American authorities.”
Used to making a mockery of the law here in the Philippines with no less than the most powerful couple in the country countenancing his acts, Bolante probably thought he could also engage in legal shortcuts in the U.S. But looks like he is beginning to be desperate.
In his petition for habeas corpus, Bolante argued that he entered the U.S with a valid visa.
As U.S. consular officers always stress, a visa is not a guarantee for admission into the U.S. Roque expects Bolante’s petition for habeas corpus to be dismissed “because the pendency of the removal proceedings in Chicago is precisely a valid ground for his detention.”
In what seems to be a case of favoring one person’s interest over that of the Filipino people, the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. is assisting Bolante in his appeal for release after he sought their “humanitarian assistance.” Bert Asuque, foreign affairs spokesman, said they are obliged to extend assistance to Bolante without verifying whether or not he is really sick under the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995. “Filipinos travelling as tourists or on business or in any capacity is covered by embassy assistance,” he said.
The DFA,however, takes a hands off policy on the Senate request to cancel Bolante’s passport for evading investigation on the fertilizer scam.
But even if DFA , no doubt upon instructions of Gloria Arroyo, tries to work on improving Bolante’s situation, Roque will not make it easy for him. He said he will file an amicus brief opposing Bolante’s petition for habeas corpus as well as ask the court that the proceedings be made open to the public.
Since we, the Filipino people, are paying the Philippine Embassy’s assistance to Bolante, we demand that we be informed of the details of the case.
Those days when Bolante can eat his cake and have it too are over.
Kung hindi dahil sa blog na ito at sa mga balita mula kay Atty. Roque ay parang news blackout ang tungkol kay Bolante. Dapat lang malaman ng taong bayan ang detalye ng kaso. Interest ng bansa at salapi ng bayan ang nakasalalay dito. Bantayan na lang natin ang kaso at huwag bitawan. Sana ang mga kababayan natin sa US lalo na sa Chicago ay manmanan itong kaso. Malaki ang magagawa ng local Pinoy media doon tulad ng TFC (ABS-CBN) at Philippine News (pro-GMA yata ito).
Firstly, we must comment Atty. Roque for informing the Filipino people regarding the Bolante case in the U.S., as those who are suppose to, like the DFA, Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C., are not doing so, and instead have been referring reporters to the lawyer of Bolante who is perenially “unavailable.” I agree with Ms. Ellen that “Since we, the Filipino people, are paying the Philippine Embassy’s assistance to Bolante, we demand that we be informed of the details of the case.” Apparently, it seems that what the DFA and Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. are doing VERY WELL is covering up for Bolante. Thank you, Atty. Roque, for showing us the TRUTH!
Bolante should ask himself, first, whether the Arroyo’s are worth his jail time and all the inconveniences he is undergoing…As Bolante is under the control of the U.S., there is that plausibility of Bolante dancing to the tune of the U.S. What that tune is remains vague; but what seems certain is that it will serve U.S. interest.
Ellen:
It just proves actually what we already know—that in the Philippines they make laws to be broken! For instance, the Migrant Act is not for people like Bolate because he is not a contract worker but a fugitive from the law.
What they can apply on the case of this fugitive is the Vienna Convention allowing for assistance to be extended to a national of a country detained or imprisoned in a foreign country only to insure that he is not abused but not to meddle in the criminal investigation and criminal procedure of the country where the national is detained or imprisoned.
Ang bobo naman. Hindi ba nila alam iyan?
Now, the point there must be other reason than mere cancellation of visa that Bolate is being withheld in a detention now for hardened criminals and not the usual INS detention.
Concerned Filipinos should think by now of possible mass action enough to merit international attention should the US government break its own rules regarding those who break its immigration rules as when a person conceals the fact that he has a pending case in his home country that he should have written in the form a visitor is asked to fill upon entry into the US, etc.
At least, we know that Bolate is becoming helpless now because the Americans are adhering to their rule of law. Hindi puede ang palakasan. Mahiya naman sina Romulo to try to protect this hoodlum and allow him to go scotfree in good ole America! Ginagawa pa nilang tanga ang lahat pati mga kano.
Ellen,
Sa katotohanan lang Embassy at consular offices must extend assistance to all Filipino citizens who need help regardless…pero may limits din at prioritization kasi marami ang pinoy na may problema. Hindi lang si Bolante.
Ilang Pinoy kaya ang naka detain sa America for immigration violations? Ask Asuque. Ilan ang nasa preso at walang pera pang abogado at bail? Ask Asuque.
Lahat yan ay kailangan, at the very least, alam ng embassy o consulado kasi lahat yan obligadong bisitahin ng embassy o consulado. At kailangan nilang mag file ng report tungkol sa welfare ng mga iyan. Basic yan. Help Filipino citizens in distress.
Kasama sa reports- number of visits kung nakakulong o may sakit, court hearings kung kaya natin magpadala ng observer, at kung anong pera, abogado, doktor, pagkain, o damit ang donated etc…basta progress and action report yan.
Sabihin mo kay Asuque mag produce ang DFA ng report tungkol sa Filipinos detained in America. Our Embassies in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Middle East not only file reports on Filipinos in distress but they have designated consular officers for what the DFA calls Assistance to Nationals. Dahil sa nangyari kay Flor Contemplacion priority na ng DFA ang assistance to nationals.
So Asuque didn’t need to cite the migrant workers act to justify the embassy’s assistance to Bolante. Sa sobrang pa legalistic ni asuque, nabibisto tuloy sila na sobrang alaga ang ginagawa nila para kay Bolante.
At sobra talaga ang asikaso para sa iisang national na yan. What a coincidence naman that the two times US ambassador-designate Willy Gaa was here in the last couple of months it always preceeded some breaking news about Bolante. First time was when Bolante was arrested. Second time was right around the time Bolante applied for his medical assistance. May connection kaya o guni-guni ko lang ang timing ng pag-uwi ni Gaa?
I bet, there’s a connection.
Chabeli, siguro Nabeli (bought) na ng US si Bolante. Kayang-kayang gawin ng US kung ano ang gusto nila kay Bolante sa interest ng Amerika. Malalaman natin ang tutoo sa mga susunod na mga araw. Puwedeng gawing pang-black mail ng US kay tiyanak at sa Pilipinas si Bolante. Ganyan magaling ang US sa buong mundo…black mail, harassment.
Yup, Manny is right. I actually just reported a case to the embassy, a Filipino who ran over a Japanese woman and is most likely to get imprisoned. 20 years old na Japanese mestiso who carries a Philippine passport but does not know that he has a right to ask for notification of the Philippine embassy so he can be assisted especially when his parents do not have money having come to Japan only two years ago, and being swindled by some recruiters victimizing people like them. Mga taga-Davao. A consul has promised to send a staff of the ATN (Assistant to Nationals) to visit him.
Iyan ang dapat tulungan, hindi iyong hoodlum na magnanakaw ng fertilizer fund!
That’s funny for Mr. Bolante to insist that he had a valid visa to enter the USA. We don’t need a pre-approved visa to cross the border at anytime 24/7 but we can be denied entry at any time for any reason by the custom officer either at the land border or at the departure airport, and we can’t do a damn about it, but to file a complaint later. Also if your name happens to be the same as someone in the no fly list, or a you were born from a place where the radicals are mostly originated from, then tough luck.
As we earlier suspected, his case may not just be cancellation of visa that he could have just requested for an A to A or the Immigration there sending him back on the next plane unless of course he insisted even arrogantly that he is rich enough to hire a famous lawyer or that he is protected by the bogus president of the Philippines and her husband who tried in fact to keep the news on this a secret at first until someone leaked out the story.
As for Harry Roque, I bet he has friends in the US bar association who may follow up his complaints on his group’s and on behalf of the people of the Philippines that the Ali Boba no doubt cannot stop unless of course they have Roque’s residence marked with an “X” as they have ordered done to other critics of Ali Boba!
You bet, Vic, sila rin ang naiipit ng mga kalokohan nila! Still, ang galing magpalusot! Pero hanggang kailan na lang kaya? Ang sarap abangan ng sagang ito!
Ang problema sa US, baka nabili na ng Malacanang ang mga local Pinoy media doon. Di tulad noon na nagsama ang mga puwersa na grupong Pinoy para patalsikin si Marcos at pati na si Erap. Ngayon, parang tahimik sila kay tiyanak. Malaki siguro ang pondo na kinalat sa US gamit ang Philippine Embassy at Consulate doon. Siyempre, di ba may retainer na PR lobby group pa ang Malacanang sa US? Dati, ang Philippine News ay isang opposition paper. Linggo-linggo ang banat kay Marcos at Erap. Pero simula nang umupo si tiyanak, wala tayong narinig na mabigat na negatibong komento sa kanya.
That’s right!
We, the taxpayers, have the RIGHT TO INFORMATION WHERE OUR MONEY goes/ spent!
Kaso, alam na natin na napupunta sa price-padding ang halos 2/3% ng lahat ng appropriations… kaya lahat ng proyekto, madaling masira.
The Filipino migrants have the right to be protected….
pero what is this we see? bolante, a known crony of galema and her esposo libelo asking for assistance?
Marami na siyang nakurakot, di ba? Mag-i-invest pa nga raw, accdg. to some news flash recently….
I mustn’t forget to commend Atty. Roque for going that extra mile to help bring that bolate to his senses by filing an amicus. I sincerely hope and pray that he succeeds, PARA SA BAYAN! More Power to him and his group! Mabuhay Kayo!
artsee: Dapat lang hwag tantanan ng mga taumbayan, kasama na ang mga Diyaryo, kolumnista [gaya ni Ellen] at mga civil society para malaman ng mga huwad na “mainit” na at kailangan nang mag-isip at tumiklop mula sa mata ng Bayan.
But don’t forget, kailangan, pagbayarin ang may sala sa lahat ng krimeng ginawa sa Bayan. Walang pardon-pardon[ o parole!] gaya ng ginawa ni ramos sa ramboys!
With Harry Roque pushing for the rule of law, I bet you the Americans would not allow injustice to prevail in this case of Bolante. Tignan mo nga hindi umubra ang political asylum gimmick nila kasi sila mismo sinabi nilang nasupil na nila ang mga NPA tapos kung ano-ano pang kabulastugan ang sinasabi ngayon para ma-justify ang petition ni Bolate. Ang daming CIA sa Pilipinas, hindi lulusot si Ale Boba.
I doubt if the Americans would really trust her. Alam naman nilang pag nakipag-deal sila sa kaniya, bukas nasa dyaryo na dahil nga mayabang at dinidenggoy pa ang mga kapwa niya pilipino na mahal na mahal siya ng mga kano kahit na isinusuka na siya.
US silence in fact does not mean secret deal with the Ale Boba. Medyo maingat lang ang mga kano ngayon because they actually do not know now whom to trust and not to trust. At saka with the problems in the Middle East and even in the USA, bakit nila uunahin ang problema ng Pilipinas? Mas delikado nga ang problema nila sa Japan because of the North Korean threat sa mga bases ng US sa Japan.
Despite my abhorrence for the mad man in the White House, and US covert operations everywhere, I know for a fact that Americans in general would prefer to adhere to the rule of law especially when protecting a criminal suspect will not do the Americans any good but contribute more to their already bad image overseas.
It’s a fact, desperate Bolate still a Pilipino citizen of a sovereign country, Philippines. The USA has no right to hold Bolate all this time, Bolate should’ve been released to the Philippines authority to answer his crime against the people of the Philippines. Obviouly, Gloria and Miguel are doing everything they can in their power to make sure that Bolate doesn’t get back in the Philippine. Once again, we the people of the Philippines are the victim of the rotten game of politics. Needless to say we are being denied of the truth, the people of the Philippines. Like Rodney, we don’t get respect. But, this time only because we are Pilipinos.
Speaking of the NPA bogeyman, a few weeks ago, sabi nila na-control na nila ang mga NPA, tapos ngayon sasabihin nila ang kidnappers at hitmen ay mga NPA. Sinong niloloko ng mga sundalong kanin na ito? Please, tama na sawa na ang mga pilipino sa mga kalokohan ninyo. Para namang mga walang viag-ra ang mga ito!
Arresting and controlling local and international terrorists in the Philippines should be the work of the police not soldiers like Palparan. Puede ba, ang bobo naman!
Kaya tuloy ang mga tunay na pulis nawawalan ng ganang magtrabaho at hanggang kuratong na lang sila! Kawawa naman!
thanks for the updates, ellen.
whatever, malacanan insiders are trying to keep tight on their watch over the case of bulate. if it happens they fell short of assistance to the bagman, they will scatter sa kangkungan.
Mabuhay si Atty Roque…Sana ay madami pang Atty na katulad mo…
Hoyyyy…mag si alis kayong mga spammers dito…pinakawalan na naman kayo ng amo nyong si GMA…