BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO – Provincial Agriculturist Ildefonso Toledo believes the rice seeds and fertilizers that the provincial government procured under its Rice Development Program reached their intended farmer-beneficiaries.
The discrepancies discovered by the fact-finding committee Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. created may likely be due to documentation errors, he asserted.
Toledo, however, admitted he may have become too trusting of his provincial rice program coordinator, Carmelo Oren.
He confirmed not bothering to double check documents related to the Rice Development Program, and specifically the distribution of rice seeds and fertilizers to farmers.
Oren may have lapses in the preparation of the master lists of beneficiaries, among others, said Toledo.
He recalled summoning Oren once and asked about how the Rice Development Program was doing.
Toledo said Oren assured him the implementation was going smoothly and that all the documents were in order.
The fact-finding committee’s discovery is an eye-opening of sort, said Toledo. He vowed to be more hands-on in the Rice Development Program.
Toledo said he respects the findings and recommendations of the fact-finding committee, and would yield to whatever decision the governor will take.
According to the fact-finding committee, as the project leader/coordinator of the Rice Development Program, Oren’s failure to clearly account for the agricultural supplies would give rise to criminal and/or administrative liability.
On the other hand, the committee said, Toledo may have committed “nonfeasance” for his failure and neglect to perform his functions as the person directly exercising authority over his subordinate Oren in the implementation of the project./PN
