Nereus Acosta, our man at LLDA

To a lot of people’s surprise, former three-term Congressman Nereus Acosta received notice February 5, of his 90-day suspension from his current official responsibilities by the Sandiganbayan. The Presidential Adviser for Environmental Protection and General Manager of Laguna Lake Development Authority was being suspended on account of a pending case against him for the alleged misuse of development funds when he was serving his first term as congressman of Bukidnon in 2000 — 12 years ago.

 The case has nothing to do with his current government positions, but Nereus, 45 who served as representative of the lst district of Bukidnon three times, said effective yesterday, he was submitting himself to the process and abide by the court order. He said he respects “the institutional process and jurisprudence that says a preventive suspension can be imposed even when the accused occupies another position from that when the alleged transgression took place.”

He said further that he adheres to the fundamental principle that all public officers must be held accountable at all times. Also, he does not want to drag the institutions of the Office of the President and the LLDA into any controversy by challenging the court order, or seeking a temporary restraining order.

At the Bulong Pulungan media forum and at a personal conversation with this columnist, Nereus said the case against him stemmed from issues that were repeatedly brought out during the 2001 senatorial elections. He allegedly benefitted from some of his PDAF (“pork barrel”) funds for his district, the first district of Bukidnon, because he coursed some micro-financing/Grameen banking fund support (P5 million) to Bukidnon Integrated Network of Home Industries or BINHI, Inc from 2000-2001.

 BINHI is a non-stock, non-profit organization, which Nereus formed in 1989 -before he ran for Congress in1995. Nereus had trained under Dr. Muhammad Yunnus and his Grameen banking program in Bangladesh in 1994, to introduce the program to help increase the earnings of women and farmers in Nereus’ district in Bukidnon. He asked his father, along with 15 other community leaders to be in the initial board of BINHI in 1989, but over the years, BINHI’s membership grew (it now counts more than 5 million rural women), and the composition of the board changed to reflect this diversity as a non-government entity and not as a private foundation as claimed by people who charged him of graft and corruption.

Nereus admitted that he identified Grameen banking programs and cooperative initiatives in Bukidnon as recipients of a total of P10.5 million from 200-2001, but these were all issued as Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) by the Department of Budget Management (DBM). As such, the project-identification and funding were all above aboard, Nereus said. Furthermore, the case charge sheets said that because his family was involved in the earlier organizing of BINHI and supported the Bukidnon Vegetable Producers Cooperative (BVPC), Nereus was committing graft. “My family has never directly benefitted from these funds,” he said. 

Nereus told this columnist a day before the Bulong Pulungan forum of the charge that he had a solar dryer costing P2.5 million transferred from the town of Talacag to Manolo Fortich, where the Acosta family resided; his detractors included this in the charge sheets. The dryer was used for the drying of vegetables and other agricultural products. The reason for the transfer, said Nereus was that it was constantly raining in Talacag, consequently rendering the dryer, which depended on solar energy, to be not useful. The dryer was then transferred to the lower-level town of Manolo Fortich, and benefited farmers from all the towns in Nereus’s district.

The move to oust him is obviously politically motivated. The UP-Harvard-Yale-Brahmeen Bank-trained man said that during his term he introduced programs that have social impact, not just basketball courts or waiting sheds. He became popular with the rural folk, he did not depend on barangay captains and mayors for his election — something his opponents could not accept. “For being progressive in my use of my pork barrel, for pushing something different, for forming a different, community-based system, I am being pilloried,” he said.

“I’m not trying to blow my own horn,” Nereus said. “But at the crossroads of history, the progressive spirit is always hounded by elements appointed to protect the past. My progressive spirit is perhaps a threat for those who think we’re changing things.” Are these the trapos, I asked him? He smiled. “Yes,” he said.

Following the rules of Sandiganbayan, Nereus cannot sign checks, draw a salary, or use the office car. But he sees nothing in the decision to prohibit him to form plans and programs. He continues to report to his office at the Sugar Regulatory building on North Avenue, Quezon City, as head of the Lake Laguna Development Authority.

What a waste that he is under constraint to discharge duties that would help solve the enormous LLDA problem. Following instruction of President Benigno Aquino III, he and his team have drawn up projects: the building of a first Green and Climate Smart building that uses less air-conditioning and creates ideal rooftop utilization, among others; the equipping of this building with laboratory that monitors the quality of water at Laguna Lake, and the construction of wetlands that will clean the lake, build arks and recreational facilities.

Cleaning LLDA is a monumental problem, Nereus admits. The lake is 84,000 hectares in size, allowing three Singapores to sit in it. It supplies 70 per cent of Metro Manila’s fish needs. He plans to check all sewer pipes of industrial establishments not just on the lake’s banks, but in Metro Manila and surrounding towns, including those of fast food chains, and possibly reduce fish pens that clog the lake. Are some of thee industrialists behind the move to get him out of his powerful positions?

“I believe that in the end I will be vindicated, and trust that justice will be served and the ongoing trial of my case will allow me to fully clear my name,” he said.

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My dear mother-in-law, Olivia Lagasca Suarez, passed away in San Jose, in California the other day. She was 92. Two funeral services will be held in two different churches on Saturday and Sunday. Participating ministers will be Pastor Sam Quema, Pastor Niel, Pastor Jorge Marsal, and Pastor Benjie Lagasca.

Mama’s ashes will be brought to Manila on February 20. Details on the memorial service and interment will be announced.

Mama followed her husband and two sons to the Great Beyond: the late Mauricio San Agustin Suarez, Sr., and sons Mauricio “Jun” and Boy Suarez. She is survived by her children Evangeline “Lina” and James Hatten; Lourdes “Lulu” Loysaga; Rosario “Cherry” Iscasa, and Cecilia “Cely” and Ernie Crisologo, and grandchildren Marissa and Reynaldo Samaco, Miriam and Edmund Pasimio, Melinda “Millie” and Edward Benavente, Louie and Jennifer Loysaga, Mauricio “Lito,” and Dorothy Jane, and Ronald and Lawrence Suarez. Her grandchildren are Andres “Andoy” Suarez, Roummel and Kim Escasa, Astrude Escasa, Armi and Nathan Cachila, and Julie Anne and Matt Wear. 

Her great grandchildren are Santiago “Santi” Suarez, Miguel Asuzano and Victoria Samaco; Sheryl, Andrew and Robert Crisologo; Madee, Micko, Marcus and Michael Pasimio; Isabella Buenavente; Lauren Loysaga; Julian, Joshua and Francesca Escasa, and Samantha, Jacob and Sarah Cachila.

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My e-mail: [email protected]