3 Ilocos NIA officials face graft charges

By Jaime Aquino

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union -- Criminal charges have been filed against Administrator Ricardo Visaya of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and two other NIA officials in Region 1 before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly extorting money from a contractor and their alleged inefficiency to solve the water supply problem of the farmers.
    This was revealed by the officers and members of the Citizens Movement Against Corruption, Crime, Illegal Drugs and Gambling Inc. headed by Prof. Salvador Singson-de Guzman in his meeting with several farmer leaders in La Union and Pangasinan on Saturday, September 18.
    De Guzman said he also filed criminal cases for extortion and estafa (swindling) against Visaya along with Region 1 NIA Acting Regional Director Angelito Miguel and Gaudencio de Vera, division manager of Pangasinan Irrigation Management Office.
    They are also facing gross neglect of duty, inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of their duties.
    De Vera and Miguel were blamed by farmers who were not able to plant rice in the first cropping from June to September for lack of water.
    De Guzman said water supply was stopped in five irrigation systems - Agno, Sinocalan, Lower Agno, Ambayaoan and Dipalo from April to September.
    About 30,000 hectares of rice lands were reportedly affected.
    The NIA officials said they are ready to face the charges.
    "[I will] wait for the [official] summon from the Ombudsman," Visaya said in a text message to this writer Monday.
    In a statement, Eden Victoria Selva, acting department manager of the office of the Public Affairs and Information Staff of the NIA said, "All allegations on corruption and money extortions are baseless and unmeritorious."
    "Reiterating the San Roque Power Corporation's Reservoir Level Forecast for San Roque Multipurpose Dam, which is operated by the National Power Corporation (NPC) the reservoir is hitting the critical level of 22.5 meters above sea level wherein such scenario would render them incapable of running the plant eight hours a day to fulfill the contracted capacity of 115 megawatts x 8 hours during peak. The water elevation level in the reservoir was below the Operation Rule Curve, resulting in non-releasing of irrigation water supply to five (5) irrigation systems. NIA blames no one because these circumstances are beyond our control," the NIA statement said.
    "The latest publication failed to substantiate these anomalies and allegations that are only meant to degrade the competency of NIA officials. These also tend to undermine or set aside the numerous socioeconomic benefits of irrigation projects to the community, especially to our farmers."
    De Guzman also claimed that one of the Contractors, Ramon Velasco, executed an affidavit accusing de Vera and Miguel of extorting P500,000 from him. The money was a bribe so that he can join the bidding for the construction of a dam in Bugallon, Pangasinan.
    Miguel allegedly received the money from Velasco on Aug. 23, 2020 while de Vera acted as the facilitator in their meeting.
In his sworn affidavit dated Aug. 5, 2021, Velasco said that de Vera and Miguel demanded P1 million, allegedly for Visaya and P500,000 for them.
    Velasco gave P500,000 as partial payment.
    Velasco promised to deliver the full amount of P1 million once he won the project.
    Velasco discovered later that the project was awarded to another construction firm.
    Velasco said he visited the two officials in their office in Urdaneta City on Sept. 3, 2020.
    He was told that the P500,000 he gave was not accepted by Visaya's men because the money was not enough.
NIA officials denied the allegations.
    "The bidding process of all irrigation projects was conducted by the Bids and Awards Committee A (BAC-A) Central Office and Field Offices nationwide in accordance with the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Government Procurement Reform Act (Republic Act 9184). The projects (in question) are not exempted from this process," NIA Acting Department Manager Eden Victoria Selva explained.
    "The eradication of graft and corruption comes first in the Four-Point Agenda of NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya."
    The group of de Guzman also discovered another corruption at the NIA office where some of the alleged retired military officers are also collecting money from the contractors who wanted to join the bidding of the infrastructure projects.
However, de Guzman admitted they have no proof of such an allegation. --With Reports from Jordeene Lagare