Thursday, April 17, 2008 92 sacks transferred, not stolen: councilor
THE 92 sacks of rice that were reported missing in Bantayan town, Cebu the other day were not actually stolen, said Councilor Mario Marlon Pacaña.
Instead, school principal Generosa Larida just missed to coordinate with teachers distributing rice to first grade and kindergarten students of Bantayan Elementary School in Barangay Ticad, he said.
The rice was reported stolen, Pacaña added, because Larida found that the 92 sacks were empty already.
The teachers were giving away the rice when they noticed that some sacks, stored at the Decentralized Learning Reading Center building of the school, were empty.
That prompted Larida to report the incident to the police at 2 p.m. last Monday.
Mayor Geralyn Canares said Larida may be held liable if the sacks of rice are indeed missing.
Probe
The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas will also look into whatever criminal and administrative liabilities the school’s officials may have over the loss.
“Theft is not a justification,” said Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca Santiago, hinting that negligence may have also been a factor.
She said they have docketed the incident for fact-finding, adding that only a probe will determine if officials tasked to safeguard the supply were negligent or not.
The loss baffled the local police, as the school is guarded by three barangay tanods at night.
A group of construction workers are also always in the area finishing the renovation of a school building that got burned sometime last year.
It was the second incident involving the theft of NFA rice intended for school children. Last April 9, five sacks were reported stolen in Barangay Nug-as, Alcoy town.
Cebu Provincial Board Member Juan Bolo plans to pass a resolution requesting Cebu Schools Division Superintendent Serena Uy to start an investigation.
In the Bantayan incident, school officials believed the theft happened on a Sunday and done under the cover of darkness and heavy rain.
Larida had said that when they arrived last Monday, the conference room window was already open.
The sacks of rice were meant for 842 schoolchildren under the government’s Food for School program.
A total of 576 sacks and 40 kilos of rice were distributed since March. The last delivery was 276 rice sacks made last April 7.
Mayor Cañares said the town police are conducting a thorough investigation.
Crisis proof
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, for her part, said she was saddened by the report, but called on the public and government leaders to unite and help address the situation instead of blaming anyone.
“This will clearly show that we are facing a rice crisis,” she said.
In Cebu City, the Local Price Coordinating Council and the National Food Authority (NFA) have agreed to ensure that all 30 Tindahan Natin (TN) outlets in the city are operational.
City Market Administrator Raquel Arce said that in their recent meeting with NFA representatives, it was learned that 14 stores are inactive.
The meeting was meant to determine the process by which the City Government can distribute low-cost rice to its constituents.
Arce said the council, headed by City Administrator Francisco Fernandez, wanted to reactivate the 14 outlets.
TN outlets are National Government initiatives aimed at ensuring food security. The project is jointly implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the NFA.
Upon verification with the DSWD, though, it was learned that 10 of the reported 14 stores have already renewed their permits and are now back in operation.
Two of the said stores are in the mountain barangays of Mabini and Bacayan.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier offered to help sell rice at a cheaper price and do it on the front steps of City Hall.
He said the City will shoulder extraneous expenses, especially in transporting the NFA rice to areas accessible to indigents.
He is currently on an official trip in Manila.
“The NFA (representatives) admitted that they don’t have enough transport to deliver rice to traders. But Cebu City has transportation that can help haul sacks to ensure
that the rice reach the people,” said Arce.
“Also, another part of the mayor’s plan is to ask for additional TN outlets for the city, especially for those in the mountain barangays,” she added.
Arce said the NFA likewise asked for help in seeing to it that there is no duplication in the list of beneficiaries served by each outlet.
“Each outlet is required to have at least 250 indigents, among others. No outlets must have similar beneficiaries. The method proposed is to come up with an alphabetical listing of names,” she said. (GMD/KNR/NRC)
