JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday named three officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) as among those who have been recommended by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to be charged with hoarding and profiteering charges in connection with the smuggling and alleged price manipulation of onions last year.
In a press briefing late Wednesday afternoon, Remulla said DA assistant secretary Kristine Evangelista, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban, and Director Junibert de Sagun, officer-in-charge of the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service, will be charged with violation of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Ombusman Samuel Martires has earlier suspended Evangelista, along with DA Administrative Officer V Eunice Biblanias, DA OIC-chief accountant Lolita Jamela, Food Terminal Inc (FTI) vice president for operations John Gabriel Benedict Trinidad III, and FTI budget division head Juanita Lualhati, in relation to the investigation of the Office of the Ombudsman into the onion supply mess that caused prices to shoot up last year.
The Ombudsman alleged they were involved in the onion shortage and price manipulation, as well as the questionable procurement of the agricultural produce last year.
Martires said the NFA had an agreement with the FTI for the Kadiwa Food Hub project of the government, while the latter had a deal with Bonina Multi-Purpose Cooperative for the delivery of 8,845 bags of onions, with about 28 kilograms per bag, for Kadiwa.
In suspending the said officials, the Ombudsman said they allegedly violated procurement rules, made questionable advance payment of 50 percent of the contract price, non-compliance with the Memorandum of Agreement, partial implementation of the contract and doubtful deliveries by the cooperative.
INITIAL PROBE
Aside from the graft raps, Remulla said Evangelista, De Sagun and Panganiban will also be indicted for “inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of official duties under the Administrative Code of 1987.’”
“Sa RA 3019, ay meron tayong dini-demanda dito. Ang pinakamataas dito assistant secretary ng DA, si Kristine Evangelista, si Junibert de Sagun at saka si Glenn Panganiban, at kasama pa rin ang mga officials ng Bonina Multi-Purpose Cooperative (For RA 3019, the highest official to be charged is assistant secretary of DA Kristine Evangelista, Junibert de Sagun and Glenn Panganiban as well as officials of Bonina Multi-Purpose Cooperative),” Remulla said.
He also said that Bonina Multi-Purpose Cooperative chairperson Israel Reguyal, and executives Mary Ann dela Rosa and Victor dela Rosa Jimenez will be charged for violation of RA 7581, or the Price Act, for hoarding, and Section 5, Paragraph 2 for profiteering,
Remulla said they will also be charged for falsification of documents and use of falsified documents under Article 272 of the Revised Penal Code.
Remulla said the list of charges is only the start, pointing out that an investigation is still ongoing regarding the smuggling of onions and the connivance of past and present DA officials.
“Tuloy tuloy po ang pag iimbestiga natin and the noose is tightening. We expect warrants of arrests to be issued once we file this in the courts,” he said, adding that with thousands of pages of testimonies and documentation coming from congressional committees which conducted investigations into the issue, the DOJ “expected this to be properly acted upon by the courts once we filed.”
“So far, ito ‘yung nakuha ng ating effort but marami pa tayong pinag-aaralan na puwedeng kasuhan na past and present officials of the DA and other offices (This is the result of our initial investigation. We are still studying what other cases can be filed against past and present officials of the DA and other office),” he said.
He said the cases will be filed before regional trial courts and the Office of the Ombudsman.
Justice Assistant Secretary Geronimo Sy earlier said the NBI has recommended the prosecution of six individuals who the agency claimed were behind the supply and procurement of more than 8,000 bags each of 25 kilos of onions worth P134 million in December 2022.
Sy said the onions were offered to the government at a very high price of P537 per kilo by a private supplier, despite the prevailing farm gate prices of onion at P8 to P15.
He said there was an apparent collusion between some government officials and the supplier as based on the NBI probe two of the three firms that participated in the bidding for the supply of onions were fictitious.
