DA chief Alcala: ‘I will not resign’

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is confident that he still enjoys the trust of President Benigno Aquino III and that he will not resign amid allegations of corruption leveled against him.

“I will not resign”, said Alcala when asked in the “yes or no” segment of ABS-CBN’s nightly news program “Bandila” Tuesday, on whether he would step down from office.

Alcala also said “yes” when asked whether the President still favored him.

Alcala gave these responses even after Aquino appointed former Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan to do some “serious house cleaning” at the Department of Agriculture as presidential assistant on food security.

Alcala is facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged overpricing of rice imported from Vietnam and the corresponding kickback he received in a case filed by lawyer Argee Guevarra and for overspending DA funds in another case filed by the Kapisanan ng mga Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).

He has also been linked to alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles who has been accused of creating bogus non-government organizations which became beneficiaries of the lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

As a former legislator at the House of Representatives, Alcala was said to have channeled his PDAF or pork barrel funds to KMFI, one of Napoles’ alleged bogus NGOs, and as agriculture secretary shifted P1 billion of National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) funds to other organizations created by the now detained businesswoman, according to a Commission on Audit report.

In the same news interview, Alcala said his PDAF was used for the Central Market of Sariaya in Quezon and Bicol. Jersy Hortaleza

RELATED STORIES

‘I’m here to help’—Francis Pangilinan

Aquino taps Pangilinan to clean up Alcala dep’t

Plunder rap filed vs Alcala