BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – The seven officials of Calinog, Iloilo dismissed from government service for their alleged participation in the fertilizer fund scam during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were scapegoats, claimed Mayor Alex Centena.
They simply “followed” instructions stipulated in a memorandum of agreement, thus their sacking was unfair, said Centena.
“Mga tawo sa ibabaw amo ang dapat silutan,” said Centena, referring to high-ranking officials led by former Department of Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante who allegedly messed with the P728-million fertilizer budget for Arroyo’s campaign.
On Wednesday, Department of Interior and Local Government – Iloilo director Theodora Sumagaysay served a dismissal order from the Office of the Ombudsman to seven municipal executives and employees of Calinog.
Three of them were retirees thus fined with an amount equivalent to their salary for one year; and four were active employees.
Centenna said it was in May 2004 when they received some P1 million worth of check from the Department of Agriculture, as well as liquid fertilizers delivered by a distributor.
The said check served as payment for the liquid fertilizers, he said.
According to Centena, there was an instruction to follow the memorandum of agreement, which the involved employees who were all members of the Bids and Awards Committee did.
Centena said the said fertilizers were distributed by the municipal agriculturist to intended farmer beneficiaries, including himself.
However, some of the farmer beneficiaries claimed they had not received fertilizers.
“One hundred percent nahatag, ako mismo ma-witness kay ako nakabaton man kay farmer man ako. Ma-resign ako kon mapamatud-an nga nagabinutig kami (One hundred percent sure it was distributed. I witnessed it because I myself benefitted from it. I will resign if it will be proven that we are lying),” said Centena.
Despite the dismissal order served on Wednesday, Centena said the involved employees were “on leave” pending the motion for reconsideration before the Office of the Ombudsman.
“These employees were innocent. We hope the motion for reconsideration will be granted,” said Centena.
It was Task Force Abono, field investigation office of the Office of the Ombudsman which filed the case for dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service against the seven Calinog officials./PN
