By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga 

The Negros Occidental Provincial Legal Office (PLO) said the formal investigation for employees of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) involved in the disappearance of fertilizer sacks, will no longer proceed.

PLO head Atty. Alberto Nellas, Jr. said they had already received a response from OPA agriculturists Hermenegildo Basilio and Joy Cardinal, who were formally charged in connection with the missing 789 sacks of fertilizer. 

Nellas said that since Basilio is a regular employee of the provincial government, he had the right to submit a position paper.

Meanwhile, Cardinal is recommended by the PLO not have her contract renewed as a casual employee.

Based on Basilio’s response, he claimed that he was merely instructed to sign for the fertilizer received from the Department of Agriculture.

However, Nellas said Basilio still claims responsibility over the incident.

The PLO further said the evidence presented is sufficient for them to make a decision on the case.

In October of last year, the Cauayan government unit reported that they were not able to withdraw the fertilizers allotted to them at the Negros First Rice Processing Center in Bago City’s Barangay Tabunan.

A subsequent inventory revealed that 789 fertilizer bags worth P2,367,000 went missing.

Both Cardinal and Basilio were in-charge of the warehouse at that time.

The fertilizer bags were given as a grant by the Department of Agriculture.

The provincial government was responsible for the distribution of fertilizers among the 31 local government units./DGB, WDJ