LINGAYEN–The operations of the dairy farm project in Laoac town that reportedly went bankrupt, should be audited by the Commission on Audit (COA) since it was funded by government funds.

This was sought by Manuel Tolentino, chairman of the Save Pangasinan Movement (SPM), noting the statement of former Fifth District Rep. Mark Cojuangco that the project was funded by a combination of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and a little from a share on the Tobacco Excise Tax  (TET).

In an interview here last Feb. 10, Tolentino admitted he led the rally at the abandoned dairy project site in Barangay Maraboc, Laoac last Feb. 3 to confirm and show to his fellow members that the project for which a huge sum of PDAF and TET was used is already gone.

“But no matter how much was used, still the use of tobacco excise tax for the dairy farm is illegal as it is still considered technical malversation and those responsible for this cannot get away with it,” said Tolentino.

He said the dairy farm is not the only project in the fifth district of Pangasinan that flopped. The others are a rice drying facility in Barangay Unzad, Villasis, and another in Barangay Bersamin, Alcala, both of which were believed funded by a share of the district from the Tobacco Excise Fund. He maintained that the last two projects were completed but never became operational.

Tolentino said SPM filed a case of plunder and a separate case of violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act against present and former officials of Alcala before the Ombudsman.

“If we can find proofs that former Congressman Mark Cojuangco is linked to the misuse of tobacco excise tax in Alcala because of his admission in radio and television interview that he allowed the use of PDAF and Tobacco Excise Tax fund on these projects that flopped, we will include him (Cojuangco) in these plunder and anti-graft cases already filed with the Ombudsman.”

He said it was during the term of Cojuangco as congressman of the fifth district of Pangasinan when P1.2 billion in TET was withdrawn and which amount did not benefit the tobacco farmers,” he said.

Informed of the admission of Cojuangco that some of the cows previously raised in the dairy farm had died, Tolentino said this makes the investigation of this project more urgent because it appears that the cooperative that managed this project was incapable of handling it.

Tolentino said farmers were never involved in dairy farm as the 15 members of board of directors of the coop were all professionals and it was doubtful if they had any knowledge in operating a dairy farm.

He said SPM will oppose the revival of the dairy farm through the infusion of additional TET share of the district as planned by Mr. Cojuangco. (Leonardo Micua)

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