BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines — The city agriculturist here was ordered suspended for 60 days by Mayor Alfredo Benitez over the unauthorized rental of a government tractor without the issuance of receipts.
City Agriculturist Goldwyn Nifras would also face grave misconduct charges after the city legal office found him liable for allegedly leasing out a tractor donated to the city government by the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization.
Nifras denied charges by three officials of the Highly Urbanized City Agricultural and Fisheries Council, a farmers’ group that used the tractor, that they were charged P2,500 per hectare for the use of the tractor.
Nifras claimed the payments made by the farmers were for the person operating the tractor.