Farmers urge Dar to resign over undelivered fertilizers
ROSALES, Pangasinan: Thousands of farmers in the three provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, both in Region 1, and Isabela in Region 2 and the Citizens Movement Against Corruption, Crime, Illegal Drugs and Gambling Inc. have urged Secretary William Dar of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to resign for allegedly failing to deliver the free fertilizer subsidy of the national government for the farmers.The nationwide citizens movement, headed by Prof. Salvador Singson-de Guzman, on Thursday said majority of the farmers whom they talked with want Dar to resign first before they file charges against him and other DA officials before the Office of the Ombudsman so that he cannot use his power and influence to harass and intimidate them.”I believe there was an anomaly in the fertilizer subsidy for the farmers in Isabela, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, that is why I am calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to fire Dar and other DA officials for trampling on the rights of the farmers, because the money for the purchase of the fertilizers came from taxpayers like me,” De Guzman said.Earlier, Rosendo So, an engineer and the chairman of both Abono party-list and Samahan ng Industriyang Agrikultura, said he personally talked to the farmers who appealed to him to bring their complaint to the DA and to the Office of the President.So also said the farmers in Ilocos Norte number more than 100,000, Ilocos Sur, more than 150,000, and Isabela, more than 157,000.He also sought the dismissal of the DA officials for their alleged “neglect of duty.”The farmers said the DA had failed to release to them their free fertilizers as mandated under the Bayanihan 2 Law.So disclosed that the House of Representatives and the Senate allocated more than P4.5 billion to the DA for the purchase of the fertilizers, but those thousands of farmers failed to receive their share.He also urged the Commission on Audit to investigate the DA on how the department used the funds.”The DA officials should explain where it spent the money intended for the free fertilizer program of the government and how much the remaining balance of the funds is because that is taxpayers’ money,” So said.He clarified that he is not trying to destroy the credibility of the DA secretary and the other officials, but he said, citing the Constitution: “Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, act with patriotism, and justice and lead modest lives.”The funds intended for free fertilizers were released by the Department of Budget and Management in May 2021 to DA offices nationwide.So also questioned the DA officials for seeking the approval of both Houses of Congress of P250 billion as their operational expenses for the year 2022.In San Fernando City, La Union, DA Region 1 Director Nestor Domenden was not around when The Manila Times tried to get his reaction because Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte are under his jurisdiction.
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