The Department of Agriculture has welcomed the Ombudsman’s order putting three DPWH officials under preventive suspension amid a graft probe into farm‑to‑market road projects in Davao Occidental. The case highlights how flawed infrastructure spending hurts farmers and the country’s food supply.
The suspended officials are James Ryan Jabonero, Jonathan Relacion, and Zesrel Cuga, who will stay off duty for up to six months while the investigation goes on. Back in May, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. filed charges for graft, malversation, and falsified documents against several public officers and private contractors over eight road projects worth more than ₱94 million.
Investigations found some projects were marked fully finished and paid for in 2023 but were still incomplete, while others had no signs of the graveled roads that were supposed to be built. Some other former government respondents can no longer be suspended because they have left service—five were dismissed in June and one retired in May this year. Private contractors from two construction firms were also named in the complaints.
DA officials said unfinished or fake farm‑to‑market roads keep transport costs high for farmers, slow crop deliveries, add food spoilage, and push up market prices. Better‑functioning roads are meant to help farmers get their goods to trading centers faster, raise their earnings, and strengthen overall food supply. Secretary Tiu Laurel added the case shows the government’s push to make sure public funds for rural infrastructure deliver real benefits, noting the country still faces a huge backlog of about 60,000 kilometers of needed farm‑to‑market roads. From 2021 to 2026, the government has poured ₱109.55 billion into these projects, though many remain unfinished. The DA reminded the allegations are still being reviewed and have not yet been proven in court.
