NIA boss sues employees’ group for libel
LINGAYEN—A top official of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has filed a libel case against 31 officials of the agency’s employees’ association over the publication of their allegations of corruption against her.
Lorna Grace Rosario, deputy administrator for administrative and finance of NIA, said in her complaint filed on April 21 at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office here, “The respondents’ demolition job is to remove me from my job in the NIA and to cause dishonor, discredit and/or contempt on my private person and as a public servant.”
The employees’ association aired their allegations through a paid advertisement in a national daily and a letter to the President.
However, NIA’s board of directors have ruled that the accusations against Rosario and two other officials are “untrue, malicious and unfair”.
In their letter to the President, the respondents accused not just Rosario, but also Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Antonio Fleta, acting chairman of the NIA Board of Directors, and Modesto Membreve, acting deputy administrator, whom they tagged as “not worthy to serve under your (Aquino’s) administration”.
They said the names of these three top officials of DA and NIA “always cropped up every time irregularities in the agency were uncovered.”
They sought an independent investigation as well as the relief of the three officials from their present posts.
NO PROOF
Rosario, wife of Binmaley Mayor Simplicio Rosario, asserted that without proof, the open letter was done with actual malice.
“Together with my family, especially my husband who is an elected public official, we were all subjected to public ridicule and embarrassments,” Rosario said.
Rosario also asked for aP5-million monetary relief as a consequence of the “felonious actions of the respondents as stated above and the damage they have caused on my person and those of my family”.
The respondents to the libel case that belong to the NIA Employees Association of the Philippines include employees from various regions.—Tita Roces
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