Ombudsman fines former exec of Nat’l Irrigation Administration

The Office of the Ombudsman has fined a regional manager of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Region XII after it over his failure to reply to the letter of a person affected by a canal project.

A press statement on Thursday said former regional manager Ali Satol was ordered to pay a fine equivalent to his one month’s salary after he was found guilty of violation of Section 5(a) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and simple neglect of duty.

The administrative case stemmed from Satol's failure to reply to the letter of complainant Abdullatip Asim dated June 20, 2016 about his compensation claims on a property affected by the main canal project of NIA-12.

The Ombudsman said investigators found that Satol received the letter on June 23 but he made “no written report whatsoever on the adverse findings which surfaced during the field validation and the corresponding actions taken on the matter.”

“Respondent failed to live up to this norm when he did not respond to complainant’s request,” the Ombudsman said.

“Respondent was duty-bound to comply with Section 5(a) of R.A. No. 6713. The provision must be faithfully observed. It is founded on the principle in government service that the public must be served with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency,” it added.

The Ombudsman said the decision against Satol is final and executory, and can no longer be appealed.

NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya has been tasked to immediately implement the penalty on Satol.

Under the law, government officials are required to respond to letters or other means of communications sent by the public within 15 working days of receipt. — BM, GMA News