DA pursuing individuals behind fake SAROs

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala on Monday said they are now in the process of finding and pursuing individuals behind the production of fake Special Allotment Release Orders (SARO) within the Department of Agriculture.

Alcala told Radyo Inquirer 990AM in an interview that these individuals usually pose as lawyers representing the assistant secretary of the DA and bringing forged copies of the SARO to local government officials.

“We have cases where people would pose as lawyers or assistant secretaries from our department,” Alcala said. “But we are now in the process of finding and pursuing them.”

Alcala said that they are working with the Department of Budget and Management and with the National Bureau of Investigation to solve the case which Alcala said initially stemmed out of the Department of Budget and Management.

“I assume that there is someone who has access inside the DBM office and access to the SARO documents,” Alcala said. “These documents still lack the signatures of the assistant secretaries of the DBM and these individuals forge the (signatures on the unsigned) documents and reproduce them.”

“But the NBI and the DBM are on it and we hope for a fast solution to the case.”

Also, Alcala said that these kinds of SAROs, which were supposed to be used for dubious farm-to-market road projects, should pass through their regional offices and the main office is the one to notify the former for a go-signal to release the fund.

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