MANILA, Philippines (ENS) — The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of five officials of the Department of Agriculture for “gross misconduct” because of the alleged anomalous implementation of agricultural projects in Negros Occidental funded from the pork barrel funds of Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the dismissal from government service of Regional Executive Director Larry Nacionales, , Accountant III Candelaria Martinez, Officer-in-Charge Mira Talabong, Accounting Section Chief Mae Nones, and Monitoring Staff Roger Salcedo. The officials all came from the DA regional field unit in Western Visayas.
According to the Ombudsman’s decision, an undated project proposal was prepared and approved by Senator Estrada for the “Diversified Farm Assistance for Negros Occidental Agri-Producers” with a total budget of P20.5 million.
The Ombudsman said that in a letter issued in December 2007, Estrada requested Nacionales to implement the agricultural projects with JCB Foundation as NGO project implementor. The agricultural project involved the acquisition of 28 units of hand tractors, 28 units of rice threshers, 56 units of power sprayers and 5,000 bottle of Nobac Urban Organic Enzyme and Microbial Decomposition Activator including freight, shipment and delivery costs.
The Office of the Ombudsman explained that based on the Special Audit Report of the Commission on Audit (COA), several audit observations were uncovered such as non-delivery of the farm inputs and farm implements, falsified certifications for the equipment, simulated bidding.
It said equipment and products were grossly overpriced by as much as 74.5% or equivalent to P14.2 million.
Moreover, freight, shipping, trucking and delivery expenses totaling P1,018,000.00 were reportedly without factual and legal basis.
The Ombudsman also found out that the actual recipients of the liquid fertilizers could not be determined because the masterlist bearing the signatures of farmers did not indicate the quantity they had received. It was also discovered that the supplier for the agricultural equipment and JCB Foundation had the same address.
“There is gross inexcusable negligence when they merely signed the Certifications, Accomplishment Reports and DVs as well as record the transactions in the books of DA RFU VI when they very well know they should have conducted periodic monitoring and evaluation on the project as well as verified and checked the documents submitted by JCB,” Morales said in a statement.
The Ombudsman also imposed these additional penalties to the DA officials: cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, forfeiture of retirement benefits. They were also barred from taking civil service examinations.
Under the law, a public officer is guilty of Gross Misconduct if it is proven that he had committed transgression of some established and definite rule of action, more particularly unlawful behavior or gross negligence.
Meanwhile, the Ombudsman said that the complaint against Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer Roy Tio was dismissed in view of his death prior to the filing of the complaint. (Eagle News Service)
