THE Office of the Ombudsman has found an official of the National Irrigation Administration guilty of violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and simple neglect of duty for failure to reply to a complaint on a compensation claim.
The Ombudsman ordered NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya to immediately implement the penalty imposed on Region 12 manager Ali Satol.
Satol was ordered to pay a fine equivalent to one month of his salary.
The Ombudsman maintained its decision is final, executory and unappealable.
Satol's administrative liability arose from his failure to promptly reply to the June 20, 2016 letter of complainant Abdullatip Asim regarding just compensation claims on a property that was appropriated as a main canal by NIA.
Satol received the letter three days later.
"There was no written report whatsoever on the adverse findings, which surfaced during the field validation and the corresponding actions taken on the matter," the Ombudsman's decision read.
“Respondent was duty bound to comply with Section 5(a) of Republic Act No. 6713. The provision must be faithfully observed. It is founded on the principle in government service that the public must be served with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency. Respondent failed to live up to this norm when he did not respond to complainant’s request."