The Office of the Ombudsman ordered a six-month preventive suspension without pay of five officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) for “questionable procurement” and “doubtful deliveries” of onions for the Kadiwa Food Hub project.
The four-page order signed by Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires on Tuesday, Aug. 1, preventively suspended were DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Y. Evangelista, Administrative Officer V Eunice F. Biblanias, and officer-in-charge Chief Accountant Lolita M. Jamela, and FTI Vice President for Operations John Gabriel Benedict C. Trinidad III, and Budget Division Head Juanita G. Lualhati.
The order stated that the preventive suspension without pay was in line with Section 24 of Republic Act No. 6770, the Ombudsman Act of 1989.
Section 24 provides: “The Ombudsman or his Deputy may preventively suspend any officer or employee under his authority pending an investigation, if in his judgment the evidence of guilt is strong, and (a) the charge against such officer or employee involves dishonesty, oppression or grave misconduct or neglect in the performance of duty; (b) the charges would warrant removal from the service; or (c) the respondent's continued stay in office may prejudice the case filed against him.”
Those suspended were charged with grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
The order stated that DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban entered into a memorandum of agreement with FTI for the Kadiwa Food Hub project. FTI, a government owned and controlled corporation, then entered into a letter of agreement with Bonena Multi-Purpose Cooperative for the delivery of 8,845 bags of onions as part of the Kadiwa Food Hub.
But the order stated that the DA officials named in the complaint failed to observe the provisions of RA 9184, the Procurement Law, since there was lack of parameters in the selection of the cooperative that will supply and deliver the onions.
The order also stated there was a "questionable" advance payment of 50 percent of the contract price despite the "doubtful deliveries" by Bonena.
"In view of the foregoing, it appears that the evidence of guilt of respondents Evangelista, Biblanias, Jamela, Trinidad III, and Lualhati is strong and the charges against them... may warrant their removal from office," the order stated.
"Considering further that respondents' continued stay in the office may influence potential witnesses and may prejudice the case filed against them due to their continued access to documentary evidence relative thereto, this Office exercises its power to place respondents under preventive suspension," it added.