By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Alberto Nellas said the evidence against the two employees of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) linked to sacks of missing fertilizer is substantial amid speculation that somebody in a higher position is behind the fiasco.
Nellas also assured his full cooperation if the Department of Agriculture proceeds with its investigation.
He reiterated that they have substantial evidence against the two OPA employees.
The decision to charge the OPA employees is based on evidence that shows that they “are not innocent as they claimed.”
“If they have any basis that they are innocent, we will look into it also, and verify their data,” he added.
Nellas confirmed that a senior OPA employee was mentioned in the affidavits of the employees, however, Nellas said “it lacks supporting statements and evidence to support their claims.”
He also said that the provincial government has assured its full support if an investigation is to be conducted by the Department of Agriculture Western Visayas regional office on the 789 missing bags of fertilizers valued at P2.3 million.
One of the two OPA employees under investigation for the missing fertilizers is a casual employee who was already fired from her job.
The other one is a regular employee and is still given the opportunity to defend himself, Nellas said.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that “hard evidence points to two persons, otherwise it’s all innuendo.”
“We always decide based on the evidence presented,” Lacson stressed.
He also reiterated that he wants to know the details of the delivery, who are the persons involved in the releasing, and the receiver.
Around 4,000 sacks of fertilizer were stored by the DA regional office at the Capitol warehouse in Brgy. Tabunan, Bago City, for distribution to farmers affected by Typhoon Odette in Negros Occidental.
Of these, 789 were discovered missing in October 2022 when the local government of Cauayan claimed its allocation and found out that the bodega was empty.
Earlier, Engr. Albert Barrogo, DA regional technical director for operations and extensions, said they have referred the case to their legal office for investigation.
Barrogo urged the PLO “to dig deeper to know who are the real culprits behind the missing fertilizers, and not (implicate) the innocent ones.”
