CA affirms dismissal of ex-DA official in P728-M fertilizer scam

MANILA, Philippines - The dismissal of former agriculture assistant secretary Ibarra Poliquit for his role in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam in 2004 is affirmed, the Court of Appeals (CA) has ruled.

In a decision released last Wednesday, the CA seventh division dismissed Poliquit’s petition to reverse the Office of the Ombudsman’s order finding him guilty of grave misconduct.

“His acts were essential elements that paved the way for the approval of the request and release of funds in the said DA (Department of Agriculture) program, and eventually caused the regional executive directors into entering in MOAs (memorandum of agreements) even beyond their signing authority,” read the CA decision.

In his petition, Poliquit said the anti-graft agency erred in finding him guilty of gross misconduct since no proof was presented that his act of recommending the sub-allotment of the Farm Input/Farm Implement Fund (FIFIF) to the different DA regional field units not included in the list of supposed beneficiaries was an intentional and deliberate violation of the law.