Alcala tightens rules on NGO accreditation

MANILA, Philippines - The procedure in the accreditation of non-government organizations, which the Department of Agriculture has made stringent since the start of President Aquino’s term in 2010, is set to become even more tougher than it has ever been before.

This development stems from an order of Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala to make the NGO accreditation scam-proof, thus involving pre-continuing and post-audit requirements, capability assessment, referral from intended project beneficiaries, industry/sector and local government endorsement, proof of track record, background investigation of key officers, onsite inspection, random spot checks and constant monitoring, periodic project evaluation and review, payment in tranches based on compliance with target accomplishment schedules, withholding of periodic disbursement for unsatisfactory work, third-party or beneficiary appraisal of performance, penalties and filing of cases for non-compliance with agreed terms, and blacklisting, among others.

Such measures, according to Alcala, may still expand in scope upon consultation with industry stakeholders because of the need to make the guidelines comprehensive.

Alcala said the guidelines would also make the DA officials and employees in the accreditation process liable for any fraudulent activity of an erring NGO or its officers.

“Nonetheless, everyone will be accorded due process,” Alcala stressed, also referring to those in the DA that would be suspected as accomplices of bogus NGOs.

The same due process is being accorded Assistant Secretary Ophelia Agawin, who has gone on leave following publicized suspicion of her involvement in the celebrated scam allegedly perpetrated by Janet Napoles.

The scam involved the alleged use of Napoles’ NGOs in ensnaring DA projects funded by the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of certain lawmakers.

Fortunately, the Napoles NGOs received only the initial payment and failed to qualify for the succeeding disbursement tranches because of the DA’s stringent reportorial and project audit requirements.

Still, Agawin had to go on leave.

Up to this time, the investigating bodies, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), could not find evidence to link Agawin to Napoles and indict her for any involvement in the scam.

Media reports had also linked Agawin to the P728-million fertilizer scam involving then DA Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante and several others of the then Arroyo administration.

However, the cases filed against Agawin apparently stemmed from her being the DA’s chief accountant at that time as these were all dismissed for lack of merit.

Agawin was later promoted to Director III in September 2004 and to assistant secretary for finance on Dec. 15, 2011.

Records from the DA show that there is no pending case against Agawin. Otherwise, she would not have qualified for promotion during the pendency of any administrative or criminal case.