MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman has found National Irrigation Administration (NIA) 12 (Soccsksargen) regional manager Ali Satol guilty of violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and simple neglect of duty.
The Ombudsman ordered Satol to pay a fine equivalent to one month’s salary.
The NIA official’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 the NIA 12.
Records showed that Satol received the letter on June 23, 2016.
“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 Office of the Ombudsman said, based on its probe.
“The 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 of 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,” the Ombudsman concluded.
RA 6713 establishes the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The anti-graft body said the decision is final, executory, and unappealable.
Likewise, the Ombudsman ordered the Administrator of the NIA to immediately implement the penalty imposed on Satol. (Perfecto Raymundo, Jr./PNA)
