THE 1.6-million strong National Confederation of Irrigators Association Inc. urged on Sunday the Duterte administration to reconsider the appointment of a former head of a parents-teachers association and consultant for several private companies as the sixth board member of the National Irrigation Administration.
In a July 6 letter to President Rodrigo Duterte, NCIAI president Silvestre Bonto said “the recent appointment of the sixth board member of NIA representing the ‘private sector’ in the person of Gregorio G. Sarmiento is contrary to law.” NCIAI boasts 1.6-million farmers
“It is not in accordance with Republic Act 3601 and Presidential Decree 552 [An Act Creating NIA] which provided for farmer representation in all government body of all government agencies, such as the NIA,” the document read.
Bonto said the NCIAI has been asserting its right to sit as one of the NIA’s board members in the past 20 years, but it was only recently that the government granted their right.
“For this, the NCIAI is very thankful,” he added.
On June 2, 2016, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco appointed Sarmiento to represent the rice and corn (farmer) sector “to serve the unexpired term of office that began 01 June 2016 and will end on 30 June 2017 vice Silvestre Bonto assigned by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.”
According to Bonto, he was not informed about his replacement, and that he continued to stay as NIA’s sixth board member.
“Your recent appointment will deprive the 1,605,044 farmers, the 8,599 primary irrigators’ associations and the NCIAI with their rightful representation to the NIA board,” he said.
Bonto urged the President “to give back to the NCIAI their right.”