By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) confirmed that several equipment was also missing inside the Rice Processing Center warehouse in Bago City.

OPA head, Dr. Edmundo Causing said the warehouse failed to receive three grass cutters worth P20,000 each, aside from the nearly 800 sacks of fertilizer which went missing.

Causing clarified that the grass cutters were reported missing last April 12.

The person who was supposed to receive the equipment cannot be contacted, he said.

The incident happened before Holy Week, he added.

Initial reports from the Provincial Legal Office (PLO) showed there were no signs of forced entry into the facility when the sacks of fertilizers were discovered missing.

The grass cutters were stored in an area where they could have been easily carted away by other people.

The warehouse security guards are on status quo, and all of the other remaining items stored in the facility have been secured.

Nellas added that they are not ruling out the possibility that the disappearance of the fertilizer bags was an inside job.

On Tuesday, April 25, PLO prepared show cause orders to some personnel of the rice warehouse for the alleged disappearance of 789 bags of fertilizer.

Previously, those who were allegedly involved were two personnel from the OPA, and three from the provincial government’s Safety and Security Division.

Based on the incident report received by the PLO, the fertilizers were discovered missing after the Cauayan local government unit visited the warehouse to get its share of the fertilizer.

The fertilizer bags, worth P2.3 million, were previously given as a grant by the Department of Agriculture./DGB, WDJ