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DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Bernie
Fondevilla on Wednesday denied the alleged involvement of
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap in the controversial swine program
of the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp.
“Secretary Yap is not involved
in this controversy because he was not the head of the DA when the
Quedancor’s swine program was planned and implemented,”
Fondevilla said.
He added that irregularities
uncovered by the Commission on Audit took place when Yap ‘s
predecessor, Luis “Cito” Lorenzo Jr. was at the helm of the
Agriculture department.
On Tuesday night, Yap denied the
allegation in a television interview, saying he was the one who
called for an investigation of the controversy.
Fondevilla, chief of staff of Yap
and executive director of the National Agricultural and Fisheries
Council, said Yap had sought an investigation of the Quedancor
Management Committee based on the same report of the Audit
commission that is now being cited by lawyer Harry Roque.
The audit findings used by Yap to
initiate the probe, he added, pertain to the same report cited by
Roque in unduly implicating the Agriculture chief in the swine
program.
Fondevilla pointed out that the
swine program was conceptualized and implemented in 2003, when
Lorenzo was the Agriculture chief.
--Ira Karen Apanay
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