Ombudsman lifts suspension order vs 23 NFA personnel

The Office of the Ombudsman has lifted the suspension order against 23 of the 141 National Food Authority (NFA) officials and employees who are facing investigation in connection with the allegedly anomalous sale of the government's rice buffer stocks to private traders.

- ELIZABETH MARCELO

Ombudsman Samuel Martires confirmed yesterday that his office lifted the six-month preventive suspension of 23 warehouse supervisors upon the recommendation of his field investigators.

Martires, however, was quick to clarify that the supervisors are still included as respondents in the ombudsman's ongoing investigation.

He said the investigators have yet to look into the "merits of the case" or the specific participation of each of the respondent NFA officials.

"No, (the lifting of suspension was) not in terms of their involvement. We are saying that there is no need to continue the suspension of these employees because we already gathered the documents from them," Martires said.

Martires could not immediately furnish the reporters a copy of the order lifting the suspension of 23 NFA officials, but said that they were all warehouse supervisors, mostly assigned in Iloilo, Antique and Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

He also maintained that the names of the NFA officials and employees placed under preventive suspension were just based on the matrix submitted to the ombudsman by the office of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.