Ombudsman sacks 5 agri execs over pork barrel scam
The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the sacking of five officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Unit VI for implementing projects funded by the pork barrel of detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said DA Regional Field Unit (RFU VI) Regional Executive Director Larry Nacionales, Accountant III Candelaria Martinez, Officer-in-Charge Mira Talabong, Accounting Section Chief Mae Nones, and Monitoring Staff Roger Salcedo were found guilty of Gross Misconduct.
Morales said that Nacionales et. al will be perpetually barred from holding public office, have their retirement benefits forfeited and will be barred from taking civil service examinations.
In its decision, the Ombudsman said that a project called “Diversified Farm Assistance for Negros Occidental Agri-Producers” was allegedly approved by Estrada with a total budget of P20,500,000. In a letter dated December 2007, Estrada tapped JCB Foundation as the implementor of the said project.
The project involves 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 Ombudsman said.
However, a special audit made by the Commission of Audit (COA) discovered that the said farm inputs and farm implements were not delivered, certifications for the equipment were falsified, and that some equipment and products were “grossly overpriced by as much as 74.5% or equivalent to P14.2 million.”
The report also discovered that JCB Foundation and the supplier of the agricultural equipment has 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.
Estrada is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center due to graft and plunder over his involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam. CFC
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