THE Office of the Ombudsman has found former National Irrigation Administration (NIA) acting administrator Benny Antiporda guilty of harassment and oppression against agency officials and employees on which he was slapped with a six-month suspension last year.
He was meted the penalty of suspension without pay for one year based on the Rules of Procedures of the Office of the Ombudsman.
Deputy Ombudsman Jose Balmeo Jr. signed the 22-page ruling on August 30, 2023.
Antiporda is no longer in government service; he was stripped of his post after former Piddig, Ilocos Norte mayor Eduardo Guillen was appointed to take his post by President Marcos Jr.
The Ombudsman held that having been separated from the service, the alternative penalty imposable is a fine equivalent to a full year’s pay as acting administrator of NIA.
According to the 2022 Report on Salaries and Allowances (ROSA) of government officials, Antiporda received P928,799.77 in total basic salaries or P249,000 per month (before tax) while serving as NIA administrator for three months and three weeks, not counting bonuses, allowances, and other benefits.
Antiporda was charged with administrative offenses for grave misconduct, ignorance of the law, oppression, harassment, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
However, other than oppression and harassment, the rest of the charges were dismissed by the Ombudsman due to the absence of “manifest intent to violate the law or flagrant disregard of rule.”
Based on the complaint, Antiporda ordered the door lock on the Board of Directors’ Office changed, subjected some agency officers and staff to security inspections, and deprived another official’s office of janitorial services.
On the respondent’s claim that he was trying to weed out corruption in the NIA and was protecting vital documents at the Board of Director’s Office, the Ombudsman said the matter should have been left to the discretion of the NIA Board of Directors.
“Respondent has tarnished the integrity and diminished public trust and confidence in his office. The Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees requires public official …to respect at all times the rights of others and to refrain from acts contrary to good moral and good custom,” the Ombudsman declared.
