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The two chambers of the 14th Congress -- the Senate and the House of Representatives -- clashed over the issue as to where the former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante would appear first for the investigation on the P728-million fertilizer fund mess.

Palawan Rep. Abraham Kahlil Mitra, chairman of the agriculture committee, in a press conference Tuesday afternoon, confirmed that Bolante received personally and signed the invitation of the House for him to appear in its investigation on the fertilizer fund scam issue which starts on Wednesday.

He however said that Bolante wrote to him, of which a copy of the letter were distributed to media, saying that much as he (Bolante) would like to contribute to the success of the hearing, he is presently under the custody of the Senate because of a warrant of arrest issued against him on December 12, 2005, and therefore not in a position to honor the invitation of the Lower House.

Bolante asked the agriculture committee to help him secure the necessary clearance from the Senate for him to attend the House probe and to give him a copy of the questions to be asked so he may know the scope to be covered by the House inquiry.

Mitra however stressed that the House of Representatives "don't need to ask permission of the Senate for Bolante to appear in House hearings."

"We can conduct our own investigation regarding the fertilizer fund mess," he said.

Senator Manuel Roxas II earlier said he expects "inter-parliamentary courtesy" to prevail in the plan of the House of Representatives to invite Bolante in its probe ahead of the Senate inquiry which is scheduled on Thursday.

"Si Joc-Joc haharap sa Senado sa Huwebes. Si Joc-Joc ay nasa Senate custody ngayon at may inter-parliamentary courtesy naman (Bolante will face the Senate on Thursday. He is under Senate custody and there is inter-parliamentary courtesy)," Roxas said in a radio interview. - PNA

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