BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO – Under its Rice Development Program, the provincial government purchased fertilizers and palay seeds for distribution to farmers. But the Provincial Agriculture Office failed to account sackloads of them.
The personalities involved in this “failure to account” may face administrative and criminal charges, according to Atty. Dennis Ventilacion, Provincial Legal Office (PLO) chief.
Three months ago, Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. created a fact-finding committee headed by his executive assistant, Atty. Suzette Mamon to conduct an investigation.
As a matter of practice, Ventilacion said, the PLO and the Office of the Governor adopt the recommendations of fact-finding committees.
In the Rice Development Program probe, the committee held liable two officials of the Provincial Agriculture Office – Dr. Ildefonso Toledo, the provincial agriculturist, and Carmelo Oren, the rice program leader/coordinator.
According to Mamon’s 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.
Ventilacion said his office will wait for the governor’s decision.
FINDINGS
The fact-finding committee noted discrepancies in the records.
In 2011 for example, the total bags of palay seeds purchased, inspected and delivered was 1,200 but the total number distributed was 1,210 bags.
It also discovered that the master list of beneficiaries did not have the approval of Toledo.
Toledo had told the fact-finding committee that all master lists of farmer-beneficiaries must be duly approved by him upon the certification of the Municipal Agriculture Officer.
The committee also noted that there were releases of palay seeds and fertilizers not covered by Requisition and Issue Slips (RIS).
Other releases were not supported by master lists of beneficiaries.
Other releases were indeed covered by RIS but were not signed nor approved by Toledo, the committee added.
In 2011, capitol procured 150 bags of fertilizer. The committee discovered that the number of bags distributed was only 120.
The master list of beneficiaries and some RIS were not approved by Toledo, and that some released bags of fertilizers and herbicides were not supported nor covered by RIS.
In 2012, the province bought 933 bags of high-quality palay seeds. The committee said only 873 bags were distributed; 60 bags were unaccounted.
The committee also noted “tampered” dates of unapproved master lists which were not likewise covered by RIS.
On the other hand, the list showing 101 bags of rice received by listed individuals did not bear individual signatures of the recipients, and that the same releases were not covered by RIS.
As to the black rice seeds procured also in 2012, the committee said the releases were indeed covered by master lists but these did not have the approval of Toledo and lacked RIS.
Also in 2012, fertilizers (150 bags), herbicides and insecticides were procured.
Some releases were not covered by RIS and the master lists did not have Toledo’s approval.
And as per ocular inspection at the Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESVIARC) in Jaro, Iloilo City where the fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides were supposed to have been stored, the undistributed stocks could not be accounted.
Under the Approved Annual Investment Plan of the province, the total allocation for the Rice Development Program from 2011 to 2013 was P9.5 million chargeable against the 20 percent Development Fund or Internal Revenue Allotment of the province.
A total of P3.1 million was for allotted to the Rice Development program in 2011, P3.2 million in 2012 and P3.2 million in 2013.
The objective output for the year 2011 was to produce or procure 4,000 bags of certified seeds for the farmer-beneficiaries.
For 2012, the target was to produce 1,200 bags of certified rice seeds to be distributed to farmer-beneficiaries, and for 2013, the program targeted to produce 300 bags of palay seeds and 900 bags of buffer stock./PN
