FORMER newsman and current National Irrigation Administration (NIA) administrator, Benny Diaz Antiporda, said a “syndicate” inside the agency is behind the swift order of the Ombudsman to suspend him from his post for six months without pay, stressing the complaint against him was also meant to “humiliate” the appointing authority, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.
“We all know of the rampant corruption at NIA; while there may only be a few involved, they are very well-organized,” Antiporda said, who formally took over at the NIA last July 29, 2022.
In an order dated November 15, 2022, OMB Samuel Martires ordered the suspension of Antiporda for alleged grave misconduct, harassment, oppression, ignorance of the law and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Also named as respondents but not suspended by the OMB are Senior Deputy Administrator Atty. Eryl Royce Nagtalon, NIA Senior Deputy Administrator; Acting Operations Department Manager Leslie Dizon; IEC Acting Manager Jerome Osias; Public Affairs (PAIS) Acting Manager Clarizze Toribio and General Services (GSD) Acting Manager Elaine Villanueva.
Named as complainants are the officers and members of the NIA Employees Association (NIAEASP), Lloyd Allain Cudal, former head the NIA Legal Service, Michelle Gonzales Raymundo, former NIA board corporate secretary and an unnamed “concerned employee” of the agency.
The credibility of the complaint against Antiporda, however, is now under question, after Eduardo G. Yu, NIAEASP president, issued a statement on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, where he categorically disowned and denied their being cited as complainant against the NIA chief.
“The NIAEASP National Council during its meeting on September 5, 2022, passed NC Resolution No. 13-2022, expressing its solid support to Administrator Antiporda’s leadership. That resolution still stands and remains unchanged,” Yu stressed.
On the other hand, the NIA last September 15, 2022, filed a complaint against Cudal and his subordinate at the Legal Service, Atty. Mary Annabelle Cruz-Domingo, for graft and corruption, gross and inexcusable negligence, inefficiency and incompetence, among others.
Antiporda had urged the OMB to make further investigation of Cudal after the NIA lost a legal case “due to a technicality” that resulted to the agency being ordered to pay more than P205 million to a contractor who failed to finish an irrigation project in Central Luzon.
Antiporda had also filed a complaint against Raymundo before the OMB last October 18, 2022, for betrayal of public interest, graft and corruption, habitual drunkenness, discourtesy, grave misconduct and maltreatment, among others.
Antiporda added that on the first NIA board meeting that he attended, Raymundo had tried to make him sign an irrigation contract worth more than P200 million but he refused. Afterwards, Raymundo allegedly started a “campaign” for him not to be confirmed as NIA administrator by the NIA board but this failed.
Antiporda added he was also being prodded to approve another NIA project worth more than P800 million to “automate” the country’s existing dams but he again refused, saying he found “no logic” on the proposal that would not benefit the country’s farmers.
He added he found the OMB’s suspension order against him as “unusual” as he was suspended without him even yet to receive a copy of the complaint up to now. “And the OMB is yet to act on the complaints that I filed,” he pointed out further.
Making light of the situation, Antiporda said the “good thing” that came out of his preventive suspension is that the public now realized that the OMB can swiftly act on a complaint, if it wanted to. “Puwede naman palang maging mabilis ang aksyon ng Ombudsman sa mga reklamo.”
Antiporda also appealed to the OMB to not allow itself to be used by sinister forces who are out to derail the Marcos administration’s campaign against corruption.
“Nakikiusap po tayo sa Ombudsman na tulungan kami sa NIA; huwag po kayong magpagamit,” he said.
He added that he is not clinging to his post and that he is leaving the matter to President Marcos Jr., to decide on whether he should stay or not in his administration.
“Hindi po tayo kapit-tuko sa puwesto,” he stressed.