A network of farmers’ groups in Central Luzon has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the allegedly overpriced P1.8 billion fertilizer supply contracts approved by the Department of Agriculture last month under an emergency stimulus program amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Joseph Canlas, chairman of the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL), the Office of the Ombudsman may initiate on its own (motu propio) an investigation on the supply contracts in question.
“The Ombudsman has the power to initiate its own probe, motu propio, to get to the bottom of this mess,” said Canlas, who earlier urged Agriculture Secretary William Dar to rescind the questionable contract for the supply and delivery of urea fertilizers.
The AMGL leader also encouraged farmers in the areas covered by the supply contracts to come out and testify on the alleged anomalies.
The Department of Agriculture, under its stimulus program Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat Kontra Covid-19 (ALPAS sa Covid-19), has allocated P5.69 billion for the procurement of urea fertilizer at P1,000 per bag – which is way higher than the average retail price of P850.
The DA in May issued notices of award to two suppliers amounting to P1.8 billion—to La Filipina Uy Gongco Corporation for P1.69 billion for supply contracts for Regions 4A, 6 and 3; and to Atlas Fertilizer for P96.74 million for a supply contract for Region 7.
Canlas earlier appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to crack the whip on Agriculture officials involved in the fertilizer supply mess.
Earlier, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) chairman Rosendo So said the supply contract for urea fertilizer was grossly disadvantageous to the government, citing the complaints of farmers who bought urea fertilizer for only P830 to P850 per bag.
“The expectation of the industry was clear. Centralization of the bidding would mean a lower or a price similar to the prevailing market price of P880 per bag. Please also note that since the bidding was a bidding of importers, the bidding price should have been much lower,” So said in his letter to Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
“We must remember that funds secured for this bidding process camefrom an emergency fund to help our farmers cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic…The figures are embarrassingly high: May kumikita sa pandemya,” he added.
So appealed to the Senate to conduct a probe on the alleged overpriced contracts, which he said defeated the purpose of centralizing the bidding process that was meant to cut avenues for corruption in the department.
“We call on the Senate to take the cudgels for our farmers who have been betrayed by the very officials who are supposed to help them recover from the adverse effects of COVID-19. We ask our senators to immediately investigate this and take to task those who are behind this anomalous deal,” he said.
“All data so far will lead to the conclusion of a new ‘fertilizer scam’ orchestrated amid the pandemic,” So added.