STATEMENT OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS ON THE SUSPENSION ORDER AGAINST DA OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN KADIWA ONION SUPPLY DEAL

We welcome the Ombudsman's suspension order against the Department of Agriculture officials who were involved in the anomalous agreement with an onion supplier of Kadiwa stores.

At the height of the onion crisis, these DA officials were obsequiously thinking of supplying the Kadiwa stores with onions brought in by smugglers. When that could not be done, they hastily sought whatever supplies were available at whatever price. Ang puno't dulo kung bakit may nag-tumbling at nagkandarapang mga opisyal ay para pagbigyan ang gusto ng Presidente na maglagay ng maraming sibuyas sa kanyang Kadiwa stores. Ganyan ang nangyayari sa mga sunud-sunurang naniniwala sa mga boss na nagsasabing, "Ako ang bahala sa'yo."

Public office is a public trust. I hope that our government officials and public servants will always be reminded of whom we serve, the Filipino people. Umaasa rin ako na hindi lang mababa o mid-level officials ang maparusahan, kundi mas lalo na ang mga boss na siyang nag-uutos at kumukunsinti sa mga ito.