Dalawang dating opisyal ng BFAR, pinakakasuhan sa sandiganbayan dahil sa umano'y katiwalian; Balasahan sa D.A., isinantabi muna ni Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel
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00:00Our chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and another official
00:04is now being prosecuted in Sandigan Bayan
00:07because the details of the report of Gleysel Bardilla were not believed.
00:15The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the filing of a criminal case
00:19to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Mostena, Escoto
00:23and another former official of the agency.
00:26This case is related to the anomalous purchase of a 2 billion pesos vessel monitoring system in 2018.
00:34The VMS is a surveillance device placed on sea vehicles.
00:39In 25 pages of the resolution,
00:424 counts of the Anti-Graft and Crop Practices Act were filed in Sandigan Bayan.
00:47First, the Ombudsman appointed Escoto as the head of BFAR.
00:54Employees of BFAR asked for Escoto's support and wore black bracelets.
01:01We want to support Atty. Demestinos Escoto
01:06because we believe that he was only a victim of that particular situation.
01:17Atty. Demestinos Escoto, our BFAR National Director,
01:21is really a good person, a man of integrity.
01:25Escoto is the third head of the attached agency in the Department of Agriculture
01:30that was fired by the Ombudsman.
01:32First, the National Food Authority Administrator Rodrigo Bioco was dismissed
01:38and Pio Lito Santos replaced him as the officer-in-charge
01:43because he was involved in the illegal sale of NFA rights.
01:47On the other hand, Agriculture Secretary Kiko T. Laurel Jr.
01:52did not see that the DA needs to be punished.
01:55No, not at all.
01:57I think these are isolated incidents.
02:01The NFA Administrator was an issue that happened late last year.
02:08Director Escoto, something happened in 2017.
02:11It's just unfortunate that the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of the DA.
02:21Kiko T. Laurel Jr. assured that the DA's operation will be stable.
02:26I think everybody is upbeat moving forward.
02:28Director Isidro Velayo was appointed as the new OIC of BFAR.
02:33Rest assured that all systems go.
02:36Our work will continue.
02:38For now, Director Larry Laxo will be the new OIC of the NFA.
02:43Klazel Pardilia for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippina.