U.S.-based Youth Group Joins Calls for Bolante’s Extradition

BY EMILY VITAL
Posted 3:55 p.m. July 17, 2006 

The League of Filipino Students at San Francisco State University (LFS-SSU), San Francisco, USA urged the U.S. government to deny Jocelyne “JocJoc” Bolante political asylum. 

In a statement, Princess Bustos, chairperson of LFS-SFSU said, “It would not be right for the U.S. government to give safe haven to a wanted man like Bolante. We want to hold Bolante accountable for his crimes against the Filipino people. The U.S. government should immediately deport Bolante so he can face all the charges of graft and corruption, particularly the plunder of 728 million pesos (intended to help Filipino farmers.”  

Members of the LFS chapter in San Francisco have been keeping tabs on the Bolante case ever since a dozen of them arrived in the Philippines last week.  The Filipino American students will be attending the annual State of the Nation Address protest as part of an international contingent representing the International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS).    

“Surely, Bolante does not deserve to receive ‘special treatment’ as a political refugee.  We Filipino Americans know that many regular Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have been deported with impunity often just because they did not have their immigration papers in order.  Furthermore we find it disgusting that the Philippine Consulate in the United States has taken great initiative to offer Bolante legal assistance while they have barely lifted a finger while many other working Filipinos have been torn away from a much needed livelihood in the U.S.”  

“It will be absolutely outrageous if the American government will entertain a request for asylum from an alleged criminal, yet has punished victims of circumstance such as OFWs,” Bustos added.  

Since the time of the arrest of former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyne “JocJoc” Bolante the front pages of newspapers all throughout the country have been plastered with huge headlines reporting the arrest of a “GMA point man” and the Philippine Senate calling for the extradition of Bolante to the Philippines.   

The LFS-SFSU chapter also said that the Philippine government should demonstrate its commitment to due process and step up its efforts to extradite Bolante. 

“If GMA claims that she is a just leader of the people then perhaps she should show some responsibility towards the masses of tax paying Filipinos whose millions of hard-earned pesos have been misused.  GMA should force Bolante to return to the Philippines.” said Bustos.  

Bustos also stated, “LSF-SFSU challenges President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to hold both current and former members of her cabinet accountable for their alleged involvement in schemes of plunder.  Obviously GMA is afraid to extradite Joc Joc since her hands have been soiled by dirty campaign money which was originally intended to help the people of the Philippines.” Bulatlat