A member of the House prosecution panel confirmed that the camp of Lorenzo volunteered to become part of the witnesses against Gutierrez who faces impeachment for betrayal of public trust.

“Yes, we received a feeler from the camp of former agriculture Secretary Lorenzo to become one of the prosecution’s witnesses,” the source said.

Earlier, House prosecution panel member and House committee on justice chairman Niel Tupas Jr. said that the panel has considered the inclusion of former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante in the shortlist of witnesses who will testify against Gutierrez.

Lorenzo and Bolante will be facing plunder and other graft charges before the Sandiganbayan after the Office of the Ombudsman approved the resolution that recommended legal action against the officials for their alleged involvement in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

The controversy, which alleged that the former agriculture officials diverted the fertilizer fund to benefit the re-election bid of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2004, is one of six articles of impeachment against Gutierrez.

Tupas denied any feeler from Lorenzo’s camp, but admitted that the latter’s name had been mentioned in one of the panel’s meetings before as a possible witness.

“I have no idea about his feeler. But it really depends on what he will testify on. His name was mentioned in one of our meetings. We will see and we will have to scrutinize it. Nothing definite on that yet,” said Tupas.

After the Holy Week, Tupas said “the panel of prosecutors will discuss and finalize the list of witnesses it will present during the impeachment trial.”

Lorenzo’s brother Martin had contributed P20 million to the campaign of then presidential candidate and now President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Lorenzo and President Aquino met last year in a party with Vice President Jejomar Binay. Martin and President Aquino were classmates at Ateneo de Manila University.

Ria Rose Abaya, Manila Bulletin