Ombudsman orders filing of criminal raps vs ex-SRA chief Serafica

FILE PHOTO: Former Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Hermenegildo Serafica during the continuation of the joint hybrid hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee and the committee on agriculture, food and agrarian reform on the alleged irregular sugar importation order, Tuesday, August 30, 2022. (Joseph Vidal and Voltaire F. Domingo / Senate PRIB)

BACOLOD CITY — The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the filing of a criminal case against former Sugar Regulatory Administrator (SRA) Hermenegildo Serafica for the three-year delay in the SRA’s procurement of farm equipment in violation of the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The Ombudsman also found Serafica guilty of gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct and was meted the penalty of dismissal from the service with accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office and barred him from taking the civil service examination, read a copy of the 21-page joint resolution released to the media on Tuesday, October 3.

READ: SRA chief Serafica resigns following sugar importation mess

If the penalty of dismissal can no longer be implemented by reason of separation from the service, the alternative penalty of fine equivalent to his salary for one year shall be imposed, payable to the Office of the Ombudsman, the decision said.

A fine of Serafica’s one-year salary as SRA administrator would be about P2.5 million, an industry source said.

Serafica resigned from the SRA in August 2022 following the issuance of a controversial sugar importation.

JPV