No bail for Bolante
Yesterday (Sept. 27, 2006) the US district Court in Wisconsin held a hearing on the petition of former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante for bail. Strange, his lawyers mentioned a suspected quid pro quo for the acquittal of US servicemen suspected of raping a Filipina , known in media as “Nicole” in Subic.
Anyway, the court denied Bolante’s bail petition.
Here’s ABS-CBN’s report:
US immigration officials denied the petition for the temporary release of former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau reported Wednesday.
The report said that Bolante’s lawyers are now trying to bail out ex-agriculture official by strengthening the petition for habeas corpus filed before the US district court in Wisconsin.
The US attorney’,led lights;s office,Mulberry Handbags, meanwhile, has moved to deny the petition. Government lawyers argued that as an arriving alien without a valid visa, Bolante’s detention is lawful.
During a status hearing on September 20, the US attorney agreed to ask the field office director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement whether or not the agency is willing to release Bolante on bond.
On Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) the court was told that the immigration officer was not willing to set bail.
Related reports earlier said Bolante’s petition only questioned the legality of the revocation of his US tourist visa and not the validity of his detention.
Harry Roque, a University of the Philippines law professor monitoring the case, said that Bolante’s legal counsels were left with only two options after the court decided to junk his petition for bail.
Roque said that Bolante could choose either to be deported immediately to the Philippines or remain in detention.
He added that Bolante’s lawyers could face contempt for saying on record that the case might be used as a trade-off with the Subic rape case in Manila.
Bolante was arrested on July 7 at the Los Angeles International Airport after arriving from Seoul,replica hermes, South Korea due to a canceled B1/B2 visa. He is detained at the Kenosha County Detention center in Wisconsin.
Bolante was tagged as the mastermind of the P728-million fertilizer fund allegedly diverted to the campaign kitty of President Arroyo in 2004. The scandal is now pending investigation before the Senate food and agriculture committee.
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