Show cause order issued vs. 2 Capitol agriculturists over P2.3-M missing fertilizer

Two agriculturists of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist were issued show cause orders by OPA over the 789 bags of missing fertilizers from the Rice Processing Center (RPC) in Brgy. Tabunan, Bago City.

Issued show cause orders to explain were Joy Cardinal and Herminigildo Basilio, all with the position of Agriculturist 1 under OPA.

In his order, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, cited a report from Edmundo Raul Causing, OPA head that fertilizers allotted for the RPC “were not withdrawn completely on October 17, 2022 because there were no fertilizers left.”

“It was found out that 789 bags of fertilizers with value of P2,367,000 from the RPC were missing,” the order said.

It added that Cardinal and Basilio being the persons in charge of the facility, received 2,000 bags of fertilizers from the Department of Agriculture “with the duty to safekeep and distribute the same to the LGUs of the Province of Negros Occidental,” documents obtained by the media showed.

It also said that on October 18 last year, the Municipality of Cauayan reported that they “were not able to withdraw the fertilizers at the RPC storage … were found missing while you were stationed and incharge of the said warehouse.”

Cardinal and Basilio were given five days from receipt of the order to explain in writing “why no criminal, civil and administrative cases will be filed against them.”

Failure to submit an explanation “shall be considered a waiver and preliminary investigation shall be completed,’ the order also said

Atty. Alberto Nellas, provincial legal officer, today said the two provincial government employees have now been reassigned.

Nellas said that the two security guards assigned to the facility were not issued show cause orders as their tasks were just to safeguarding the perimeter and not the contents of the warehouse.* (EYAdiong)