Ombudsman: Dismissal of Escoto as BFAR chief stays

FILE PHOTO:  The Office of the Ombudsman is keeping its decision dismissing Demosthenes Escoto as chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). In an eight-page order, the Ombudsman rejected Escoto’s April 26, 2024, motion for reconsideration on its February 2024 ruling that sacked him as BFAR national director over his role in the P2.1-billion purchase of a monitoring system for fishing vessels in 2018. Philippine Daily Inquirer / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman is keeping its decision dismissing Demosthenes Escoto as chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) earlier this year.

In an eight-page order, the Ombudsman rejected Escoto’s April 26 motion for reconsideration on its February ruling that sacked him as BFAR national director over his role in the P2.1-billion purchase of a monitoring system for fishing vessels in 2018.

Escoto was found guilty of grave misconduct as the deal was deemed disadvantageous to the government.

His motion for reconsideration included the appeal of his co-respondents, Eduardo Gongona and Simon Tucker, who were also indicted for allegedly violating the Anti-Graft Corrupt Practices Act.

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Escoto argued in his motion that “[t]here is a lack of evidence supporting the conclusion that evident bad faith, manifest partiality, or gross inexcusable negligence attended the commission of the alleged crimes.”

However, the Ombudsman said: “[h]is actions, minute or substantial, were all instrumental in the success of the anomalous scheme that led to the award of the contract to SRT-UK. And no amount of failure on the part of the complainant to include other individuals in the charge could undermine that.”

The Ombudsman likewise mentioned in its latest order that Escoto’s dismissal from service includes the cancellation of his eligibility to work in government, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification from re-employment in a government service.

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According to the Ombudman’s February 5 decision, Escoto erred in accepting an “unqualified” company for the procurement, which was supposed to be funded though a loan from the government of France.

Based on the complaint of Atty. James Victoriano, Escoto and former Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Hansel Didulo acted against the interest of the state when they awarded SRT-United Kingdom the P2.1-billion contract for the purchase of 5,000 units of transceivers for catcher’s vessels.

However, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the administrative charges against Didulo “for insufficiency of evidence.”