The National Food Authority (NFA) has been expediting administrative procedures against employees allegedly involved in misconduct to ensure the agency’s uninterrupted operations.
This follows the agency’s ongoing internal audit, which has so far resulted in the preventive suspension of 25 employees, the filing of 32 administrative cases, and the issuance of 54 show-cause orders since NFA Administrator Larry Lacson assumed office in March 2024.
Among the questionable activities uncovered in the internal audit were “unauthorized transactions, discrepancies in records, and decline in stocks beyond 2 to 3 percent tolerable levels, among others.”
In a phone interview, Lacson said the move should serve as a stern warning against erring employees and unscrupulous traders to prevent illegal practices in the agency’s pursuit of food security reforms.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. So, as much as possible, to the extent of our capacity, we want to finish it quickly so they can immediately move on. If they are not guilty, then they can return to work. Otherwise, they should be punished,” he told the Philippine News Agency.
“We have a lot of work to focus on—reforms we are implementing in the NFA. And we don’t want these to be hampered,” he added.
Lacson said the 25 suspended employees include branch managers, assistant branch managers, warehouse supervisors, and staff in several NFA warehouses across Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and Western Visayas.
Some have already completed a three-month suspension, while others remain under preventive suspension pending investigation, he said.
“We are carefully reviewing this to be fair to our competent and hardworking NFA employees, because they are also being dragged into the issue,” Lacson added, emphasizing that good-performing employees far outnumber the erring ones.
He further warned that the agency is ready to pursue criminal charges against those found liable for grave offenses. (PNA)
