Due to “faulty data,” the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has ordered the lifting of the preventive suspension it had earlier issued against 23 of the 139 officials and personnel of the National Food Authority (NFA).

Those suspended are reportedly involved in the alleged irregular sale of rice buffer stocks to favored traders.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires did not disclose the names of those whose preventive suspension was lifted. He merely said they are warehouse supervisors of the NFA in the National Capital Region (NCR), Iloilo, Antique, and Cabanatuan City.

In an interview with Double B TV, Martires clarified that those whose suspensions have been lifted are still respondents in the case and the investigations against them are still ongoing.

He pointed out that the “faulty data” was not their fault as he suspected that “someone might have tried to fool the OMB.”

He said that when his office confronted the NFA, the rice agency said it had the impression that it was asked who were the members of the task force for El Niño. 
But Martires wondered why, if the list was indeed for the El Niño task force, did the NFA provide names of personnel who have already passed away?

He said the OMB is now investigating who prepared the list submitted by NFA.

The preventive suspension of NFA officials and personnel was issued last March 4. Those suspended included NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco and Assistant Administrator for Operations John Robert Hermano.