Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. ruled out a major revamp in agencies of the Department of Agriculture after a series of decisions by the Office of the Ombudsman relieving the heads of the National Food Authority and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The Ombudsman in March ordered the preventive suspension of former NFA administrator Roderico Bioco and other officials of the grains agency over alleged disadvantageous sale of rice buffer stocks while BFAR director Demosthenes Escoto was ordered dismissed over alleged “grave misconduct” in the bidding for the contract of vessel monitoring systems.
“I think these are isolated incidents. The former NFA administrator’s case happened early this year while the case of director Escoto happened in 2017. It’s just unfortunate that the orders of the Ombudsman were issued one after the other,” Tiu Laurel said.
He said the order removing BFAR director Escoto, who was earlier tasked to head the review of the disposition of NFA rice buffer stocks in recent years, shouldn’t have a major impact on the investigation which should be completed in the coming weeks.
He said the operations of both the NFA and BFAR proceed as usual, with the appointment of two capable officials—Larry Lacson as acting NFA administrator and assistant director for technical services Isidro Velayo Jr. as officer-in-charge of BFAR.
