THE request of a whistle-blower to use two Senate vehicles and join his family?s excursion in Laguna was shot down by a senator for being frivolous.

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee, yesterday revealed that Dante Madriaga, Senate witness in the broadband scandal, sought permission to join his family outing, along with three bodyguards. But Gordon said he rejected the request.

?We did not allow him. He should not be roaming around. And we should not pay for the cost of their outing. He should instead be concerned with his safety,? the senator said.

Madriaga, a communications engineer employed by a private group which packaged the NBN-ZTE project, has been under the protection of the Senate, which takes care of his board and lodging since he came out and volunteered his testimony on the broadband controversy last year.

Madriaga continues to enjoy these privileges even after the Senate has stopped its probe of the broadband scandal.

Meanwhile, Gordon asked Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to issue a hold-departure order against businessman Jaime Paule, one of the alleged conspirators in the P728-million fertilizer fund mess.

?We have to request for a hold departure order because we have to make sure that Mr. Paule does not leave the country while he is still under investigation,? he said.

He noted that during Tuesday?s committee hearing, Paule was very evasive and gave false testimonies by denying his participation in the fertilizer project of the Agriculture Department in 2004. His claim was belied by at least four witnesses who worked with him in the project.

Gordon said the committee members have yet to decide whether to cite Paule and another witness, Marilyn Araos, for contempt and put them under Senate detention for allegedly trying to cover up their involvement in the fertilizer fund mess. Fel V. Maragay