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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Friday, October 13, 2017
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ILOILO City – Foodwealth Agro-Vet Trading, supplier of the city government’s P3.4-million chicken dispersal project, would seek legal action if not paid for the chickens it delivered.
“I have a valid contract with the city government signed by the mayor,” said Gaspar Igona, owner of Foodwealth Agro-Vet Trading, yesterday.
He appeared at the investigation conducted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) on the alleged irregularities in the chicken dispersal project.
“I delivered chickens that the city government accepted. Kon indi nila ako mabayadan, pakigbatuan ko na ‘ya,” Igona told reporters.
He appealed for due process.
“Waay pa matapos ang imbestigasyon, si Kagawad (Plaridel) Nava nagahambal nga i-blacklist ako. Pero may proseso pa na nga dapat sundon,” said Igona.
The supplier insisted he followed the contract’s terms of reference (TOR) such as delivering chickens weighing 300 grams.
“The city government had an inspector at the time of delivery. It would have rejected the chickens had it found them weighing less than what was required,” said Igona.
During one turnover, even Councilor Ely Estante, chairperson of the SP committee on agriculture, fisheries, aquatic and natural resources, was present, he recalled.
“Nagpa-picture pa sia. They would have rejected the chickens had there been deficiencies in the delivery,” said Igona.
Estante led yesterday’s SP investigation.
The supplier also wondered why the Office of the Internal Audit Services (OIAS) that Acting Mayor Jose Espinosa III tasked to conduct a separate probe did not seek him out.
OIAS chief Atty. Mary Joan Montaño released the results of the investigation last week. It concluded that the project’s TOR was not followed.
“I was not interviewed and neither was I given a copy of the investigation’s results. Only the project beneficiaries were interviewed, I suppose. Who knew if they were truthful to the investigators,” said Igona.
He insisted that there was nothing wrong with his deliveries.
“Nag-check gid ko ‘ya sang akon delivery, matuod-tuod ang akon delivery,” said Igona.
Estante, however, appeared convinced there were lapses – both on the part of the supplier and city government.
“Waay ma-inspection…daw gabakal lang baboy nga waay ma-sure kay waay kiluhan. Waay ma-certify sang City Veterinary Office nga healthy kag nakaagi sang needed immunization,” he said.
His committee would come out with its official findings and recommendations to be submitted to the SP.
“For the meantime, i-stop anay ang payment,” said Estante.
His committee will hold another round of investigation with the recipients of the project as resource persons. The date, however, has not been set.
The recipients are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
According to the OIAS investigation report, the weight of the chickens that were distributed varied and most of them were indeed below 300 grams as previously suspected.
It also found out that the recipients were not informed of the exact weight of the chickens given them.
Citing Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 92-386, OIAS’ Montaño said there should have been proper inspection of the chickens before their turnover to the beneficiaries.
The inspection team and/or the General Services Office (GSO) could have rejected outright the chickens if the TOR were not met, she stressed.
Montaño’s other observations were as follows:
- the TOR chicken ratio of 4:1 (four hens and one rooster) per recipient was not strictly followed; some beneficiaries received two or more roosters
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some chickens were sick on the day of distribution; there was noticeable weakness, sipon (runny nose), warts, bulging eyes, and limping; some eventually died
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the chickens were placed in open live crates during delivery and distribution
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no certificates were issued by the city veterinarian attesting to the soundness of the chickens’ health prior to distribution; Montaño found out that Dr. Tomas Forteza, the city veterinarian, was only tasked by City Agriculturist Romulo Pangantihon to technically assist the monitoring team of the City Agriculture Office without necessary coordinating or consulting on the other specifications of the project.
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recipients were not allowed to replace unhealthy or abnormal chickens given on distribution day
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the purchase order specifically stated that the place of delivery shall be the GSO, which was not in harmony with the TOR which stated that the place of delivery shall be the designated distribution center per district in coordination with the City Agriculture Office
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distribution to four districts have already been made but without completing the required 2,5000 heads per district./PN
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