DA-7 chief welcomes fertilizer fund probe

Department of Agriculture regional director Eduardo Lecciones says he welcomes any invitations from the two panels set to investigate on the controversial fertilizer fund scam in Region 7.

This after Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban recently gave a warning "for heads to roll of all DA officials allegedly involved in the said fertilizer scam in 2003."

Currently, two agencies are to investigate on the said anomaly following the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food headed by Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., implicating regional heads.

A fact-finding panel within DA was immediately formed by Panganiban, which will go parallel with the investigation by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission.

"That is a very welcome development. We have the opportunity to officially present our side with regards to our strict implementation of farm inputs-farm implements programs," Lecciones said by text yesterday.

More than a month ago, Lecciones admitted in a press conference here in Cebu that there was an irregularity in the P9-million fertilizer fund given to three congressional districts in the province.

Irregular in the sense that Lecciones implemented the P9 million for fertilizer which he later found out to be for the hybrid rice commercialization purpose.

Lecciones then said he would not have implemented the said project if he had found out earlier that the purpose was for rice.

When Lecciones received the notice of the availability of funds in 2003, the stated intention was for farm inputs, farm implements (FiFi) or basically for the purpose of fertilizers.

The P9 million given to the Regional Field Unit 7 was part of the P100 million intended for FiFi along with the P394 million for the Rice Commercialization Program and P50 million for the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Lecciones said granting that it was indeed for FiFi and for fertilizer, there was nothing wrong with the implementation as everything was well documented.

The congressional districts of Representatives Antonio Yapha (3rd district), Simeon Kintanar (2nd district) and Antonio Cuenco (South district) of Cebu City were reported by Lecciones at the Senate hearing recently to have received P3 million each.

Two conditions were mentioned in the disbursement of the said fund, through the local government unit or through an accredited non-government organization.

Only Kintanar opted to have the fund released to Argao through Mayor Wilfredo Caminero.

Lecciones said that Yapha and Cuenco on the other hand did not indicate an LGU giving DA therefore the option to choose from the seven accredited NGOs existing.

When asked why DA chose Kasosyo Foundation Incorporated out of the seven, Lecciones said the six others were not based in Cebu, making the implementation therefore easier to follow up.

Lecciones said that the officers of Kasosyo can easily be reached, unlike the rest who are all in Luzon.

Lecciones said he can vouch for the track record of Kasosyo which had already implemented several projects since it started in 2002. - Ferliza C. Contratista