Two employees of the Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) facing formal charges for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and malversation of public funds have waved their right to a formal investigation hearing.
Joy P. Cardinal and Herminigildo A. Basilio, who both hold Agriculturist I positions at the OPA, said their replies denying the allegations against them will serve as their defense, Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said Tuesday, June 27.
Nellas said they will proceed with the investigation and will still give the two the option to submit their position papers and additional evidence. If they do not submit additional evidence the cases will be resolved based on the records at hand, Nellas said.
Since Cardinal is a casual employee and there is evidence against her, the Provincial Legal Office has recommended not to renew her contract that ends on June 30.
The formal raps state that the two, who were in charge of the provincial government’s Rice Processing Center warehouse in Bago City, received 2,000 bags of fertilizer from the Department of Agriculture for distribution to local government units of Negros Occidental.
On Oct. 18, 2022 Municipality of Cauayan representatives reported that they were not able to withdraw the fertilizer from the RPC since there was no more left.
A subsequent inventory revealed that 789 bags of fertilizer valued at P2,367,000 went missing while Cardinal and Basilio were in charge of the warehouse, the formal charge said.
Basilio has opted not to undergo a formal hearing because of financial constraints, Nellas said.
He was instructed by his immediate superior to acknowledge receipt of the fertilizer but it was
not his duty to safe keep or distribute the fertilizer, Basilio said in his reply.
Basilio said his task ended when the fertilizers were secured by the warehouse watchmen and the security guard on duty.*