The Negros Occidental provincial government is open to a separate probe by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on its missing 789 bags of fertilizer, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Wednesday, July 5.
“We are open to a DA investigation, we will also ask them why the fertilizer was delivered at night,” he said.
The missing fertilizer intended for farmers planting high value crops who were victims of Typhoon Odette were discovered missing from the Negros Occidental provincial government Rice Processing Center warehouse in Bago City in October.
The Negros Occidental provincial government filed formal charges against Agriculturist 1 Joy Cardinal and Herminigildo Basilio of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist for the missing fertilizer and an investigation is underway.
Former DA OIC Regional Director Jose Albert Barrogo earlier said he hopes the appropriate people concerned are held responsible and not those who are innocent
Lacson said the only hard evidence they have point to the two persons, and claims that someone else was involved are all innuendos so far.
“We always decide based on evidence presented,” he said.
Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas said the provincial government will cooperate with any investigation that the DA will conduct.
If they have any basis that innocent employees have been charged of course we will look into it and verify their data, Nellas said.
“Our investigation was conducted based on the reports of the OPA and our Security Services Division so it has basis,” he said.
Their findings have substantial evidence to show that the two charged are not completely innocent employees as the DA allegedly said, he added.
“Based on their answers they pointed to one senior OPA employee, however, it was just a mere statement without any affidavit or supporting evidence from fellow OPA employees”, he said.
In the absence of any evidence that can substantiate their claim “we will just treat it as self-serving”, Nellas added.
The respondents have the option to present additional evidence to substantiate their claim, he also said.*