Suspended NIA chief calls for speedy disposition of complaint vs. employees

Suspended National Irrigation Administration (NIA) chief Benny Antiporda on Wednesday urged the Office of the Ombudsman to speed up the resolution of the complaint he filed against several personnel.

This after the Ombudsman placed Antiporda under preventive suspension for six months following the administrative complaints filed against him.

“Ang maganda pong nangyari dito ay kailangan purihin din natin ang Ombudsman na kaya palang magdesisyon at umaksyon ng Ombudsman ng mabilis (The good thing is we need to laud the Ombudsman that it can immediately take action on complaints),” he said in a press conference.

“But please nakikiusap po ako, baka pwedeng aksyunan ninyo rin po ‘yung reklamo naman po ng NIA na nilagdaan ng inyong lingkod. ‘Yan po ay reklamo po hindi ng personal na tao kundi reklamo po ‘yan ng taumbayan,” he added.

(But please, I ask the Ombudsman to act on the complaint filed by NIA which I signed. This is not a personal complaint. This is for the people.)

In September, Antiporda urged the anti-graft body to conduct further investigation and file the appropriate criminal and administrative cases against two employees for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

He said NIA stands to lose P205 million because of the two employees’ “lackadaisical and cavalier” attitude in handling a case.

Meanwhile, he said they were not given a “fair chance” to air their side.

“Immediately po ay ibinaba 'yung preventive suspension para daw po hindi ko maimpluwensyahan ang ating mga tao (the suspension order was immediately implemented so I would not be able to influence anyone),” he said.

According to Antiporda, there was also no information that was attached to the suspension order.

The suspended NIA official expressed belief that the Ombudsman was not solely behind the order and there were “other hands” involved.

“‘Yun po’y panawagan ko sa Ombudsman na sa halip po na ako po’y inyong yurakin ng ganito dahil sa mga hindi makatotohanang sumbong, sana po’y tulungan ninyo na lang kami sa aming laban sa korapsyon,” he said.

“Naniniwala po ako na hindi lang po Ombudsman ang gumawa nito. May kamay sa likod nito. And hindi po ako naniniwala na ang Ombusdman (Samuel) Martires natin ay papayagang mangyari 'yung ganito,” he added.

(My call to the Ombudsman is to help us in our fight against corruption instead of destroying me just because of these untruthful complaints. I believe that the Ombudsman is not solely behind this. There are other hands involved in this. I don't believe Ombudsman Martires will allow this to happen.)

Smear campaign

For Antiporda, the complaint is a smear campaign and only seeks to humiliate him and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Ang balak lang po nila rito ay hiyain tayo. And at the same time, hiyain din po ‘yung mga taong nag-appoint sa atin. Hindi po ako papayag na hiyain ninyo ang ating Pangulo,” Antiporda said.

(They wanted to embarass us and at the same time embarass the people who appoint us. I will not allow them to embarass the President.)

He also called the complaint to be misleading and exaggerated.

Antiporda was accused of applying “retaliatory tactics” such as threatening employees, using flag ceremonies as an avenue for bullying and fake news, maligning his employees, and misleading the President among others.

“Itong nilagay na ito, napakamali po 'no, napakamisleading. Para bang, para bang gumaganti ako doon sa mga tao (What they put here were very misleading. It was as if I was taking revenge on people) ,” he said.

“Alam ninyo po 'yung mga nakalagay na pangalan dito, majority po dito napromote. Paano po naging retaliatory 'yung napromote and we can prove that sa aming magiging affidavit,” he added.

(Many of those listed here, majority of them have been promoted. How can it be retaliatory when they have been promoted and we can prove that in our affidavit)

Antiporda also admitted to letting his employees fix his air-conditioning unit on a weekend, but he said he paid them P20,000.

Further, he said that only heads of office were not allowed to travel and not employees in general because the heads are needed. He added they may also ask for a clearance to travel.

Antiporda said he is confident that the ruling will be in his favor.

“Yeah, I’m confident kasi in the first place, I know I’m not guilty of those allegations. And at the same time, some of it ay actions that are needed to be implemented based on the book,” he said.

“But again nilagyan nila ng malice that’s why nagkaroon ng problema. Pero we can explain everything. We can give the whole narrative of all these allegations na 'yung iba ay talagang misleading,” he added.

Antiporda, meanwhile, asked Marcos to look into the case.

“Well, nanawagan po ako sa ating Pangulo na mabigyan din po ng panahon na makita itong mga nangyayaring ito para once and for all malaman ng mga taong ito na tayo ay fully-backed by the President in our fight against corruption,” he said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News