Perennial carper facing criminal case

Kindly allow us to reply to Arturo P. Bordas’ letter, “Why NFAEA played blind to irregularities in NFA.” (Inquirer, 8/19/11)

The report on P100-billion NFA losses Bordas mentioned came from the Commission on Audit. The report said that huge imports, high interest payments from bank borrowings, insufficient fund support from government, the “buying high-selling low” policy, and prolonged storage led to NFA losing P100 billion in 10 years (2000-2009).

This report on the P100-billion loss does not recommend the filing of charges against NFA officials, neither does it implicate the NFA Employees Association (NFAEA). In fact COA stated in its report that the losses were part of the NFA’s social mandate to ensure the country’s food security. Bordas accusations that the NFAEA benefited from the alleged anomalies are unfounded, irresponsible and libelous.

The quarterly conferences, meetings and other union activities questioned by Bordas are allowed under the 3rd Collective Negotiation Agreement ratified by NFA employees, including Bordas. Union officers are not exempted from civil service rules and regulations.

Bordas also alleged that infractions were committed by a union officer and rice retailers in a new public market on July 19, 2008 and other recent irregularities. These are the same reports submitted to the NFA administrator, in response to which the central office dispatched a team of internal auditors for the purpose of auditing the operation and management of NFA Davao Oriental. The team has already submitted its findings.

As the officer for registration and licensing of grains businesssmen, Bordas should have recommended the suspension or cancellation of the licenses of retailers involved in the infractions. He did not.

Bordas is a perennial complainant. He filed the same accusations against his co-employees, first with the Ombudsman-Mindanao and then with  the Civil Service Commission in Davao City. The cases were dismissed. Now, he is using the media. We call this forum-shopping.

We will never condone abusive actions by our co-employees. With the same resolve, we will protect and defend employees who are being abused by management.

It is true that Bordas was accused of sexual harassment. Bordas was found guilty as charged after four years, and he was meted the penalty of dismissal with accessory penalties pursuant to Administrative Case No. 09-09-007, approved on July 25, 2011.

He was administratively charged with grave misconduct for slapping the face of a clerk for no reason, and for boxing an administrative officer who caught Bordas using another person to punch in his daily time record. He is also facing a criminal case, he is out on bail.

We stand by our call:  No to graft and corruption! Yes to genuine public service!

—JAIME R. SALIGUMBA, regional president, NFA Employees Association (NFAEA)-Region 11 (also signed by 19 employees of NFA Mati, Davao Oriental)