NIA official denies ignoring Ombudsman order

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines – An executive of the National Irrigation Administration’s Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) yesterday denied allegations that she did not serve a 2009 dismissal order of the Office of the Ombudsman against an employee.

UPRIIS operations manager Josephine Salazar said the graft charges filed against her by two groups over the issue are unfounded and without any legal basis, adding this would nevertheless give her the opportunity to air her side.

In a statement, she said, “I am innocent of the charges leveled against me and I am confident that once the issues have been properly ventilated, the Office of the Ombudsman will dismiss (these charges) for lack of merit.”

The Bantay-Bayan Foundation and the NGO Empowerment Foundation filed a graft case against Salazar before the Ombudsman for allegedly failing to serve the anti-graft body’s order dismissing Melanio Santos, senior water resources technician of UPRIIS’ Division 3 office.

Last May 6, director Ma. Luisa Salonga-Agamata, of the Civil Service Commission’s public assistance information office, wrote then NIA administrator Antonio Nangel about an anonymous text complaint launched through its Contact Center ng Bayan against Salazar involving Santos’ case.

Another anonymous text complaint alleged that another UPRIIS employee, German Maniego, was dismissed by the Ombudsman whose order was carried out by Salazar.

Reports also linked Salazar to the supposed non-serving of the Ombudsman order against Santos.

Salazar said the reports accusing her of inaction in Santos’ case were intended to besmirch her name.

In her reply to Salonga-Agamata’s letter, Salazar said she assumed her post as UPRIIS operations manager on Oct. 27, 2011.

“From the date of my assumption up to this writing, I have not received any communication or instruction from the Office of the Ombudsman regarding the dismissal order of Mr. Santos,” she said.        

Salazar said Maniego, an employee of the UPRIIS’ Division 2 office based in Talavera, Nueva Ecija, has never been under her supervision.

“I was not yet designated as UPRIIS operations manager when the dismissal order was served to Mr. Maniego, hence there is no way that I had a hand in serving the order against him,” she said.