Some NFA officials who were suspended went on leave — Ombudsman Martires

Some officials and employees of the National Food Administration (NFA) who were preventively suspended over the alleged sale of rice at a loss to favored traders have taken leaves from work, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said Friday.

"Ang preventive suspension is without salary. Ngayon may nabalitaan kami na may mga opisyal ng NFA na kasama sa preventive suspension who went on leave. Hindi pwedeng mag-leave sila during the period of preventive suspension," Martires told Super Radyo dzBB.

(Preventive suspension is without salary. Now, we received reports that some officials of the NFA who are included in the preventive suspension went on leave. They cannot take a leave during the period of preventive suspension.)

He said that other involved officials and staff, meanwhile, had approved leaves prior to the receipt of the suspension order.

Starting Monday, the Office of the Ombudsman suspended 139 NFA officials and employees to allow it to secure all the documents and other evidence relating to the supposed “disadvantageous” sale of the buffer stocks of rice.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. was earlier reported to be set to temporarily take over the NFA amid the controversy.

With the concerned NFA officials and personnel taking leaves, Martires said he would write to the NFA human resource manager about the matter.

"Kung mayroong opisyal na kasama doon sa preventive suspension na may prior leave, approved leave, that leave has been terminated upon the receipt of the preventive suspension," he said.

(If there are officials who are preventively suspended with prior leave, approved leave, that leave has been terminated upon the receipt of the preventive suspension.)

"Hindi mo puwede palusutan na naka-leave ako (you can't escape it by reasoning that you are on leave)," he added.

Martires said the suspension of employees who are not involved in the controversy may be lifted starting next week.

"In the process of getting documents, nagi-imbestiga na rin yung aming mga imbestigador. So there will be some of those na kasama sa preventively na suspend na mali-lift ang suspension kasi nakita nila walang partisipasyon ang mga taong ito," he said.

(In the process of getting documents, our investigators have also started looking into it. So there will be those whose preventive suspensions will be lifted because they have no participation.)

Last Thursday, Martires personally served a subpoena to the NFA to request a list of NFA warehouses that allegedly released rice at a loss to favored traders.

Martires said the Office of the Ombudsman's investigation was motu proprio or initiated on its own.

"Dahil nabahala kami, motu proprio, nagdesisyon kami na imbestigahan itong nangyayari sa NFA. Walang private complainant dito. Ang complainant dito mismo ay 'yung field investigation office na silang nag-iimbestiga sa kasong ito," Martires said.

(Because we were concerned, motu propio, we decided to investigate what is happening in the NFA. There’s no private complainant. The complainant here is the field investigation office that is looking into this case.)

Laurel earlier established a panel to look into allegations that certain officials authorized the sale of milled rice stored in the agency's warehouse for P25 a kilogram without bidding, and after purchasing the grains in palay (unmilled rice) form at P23 per kilogram.

In response, the NFA issued a statement saying it had the mandate to dispose of its rice in good and consumable condition, as it said it released the supply responsibly by stretching to the maximum shelf life, and minimizing the sale of residual volume to other accounts. — VDV, GMA Integrated News