Suspended PCA chief reassumes post

MANILA, Philippines -  Preventively suspended Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) chief Avelino Andal is back in the agency after more than two months following corruption allegations and a rift with the Office of the Cabinet Secretary.

In an interview with The STAR, Andal said he has sent a letter to President Duterte saying that he is “discharging the duties and responsibilities as administrator of the PCA, considering that there is no legal impediment.”

“No legal process has been undertaken. I am back in the ball game and I already sent an official notice the administrator is back. I expect them to follow legal order which shall emanate from me,” Andal said.

Andal stressed he was denied due process when the PCA governing board issued his preventive suspension last March and another resolution declaring his position vacant a month after.

Based on an earlier document obtained by The STAR, the special investigating committee headed by PCA director Conrado Capa has recommended the removal of Andal as administrator of the agency “without prejudice to filing criminal and administrative cases” against him.

But Andal said he is confident the President does not believe the corruption issues against him, unlike with former National Irrigation Administration chief Peter Laviña, who was immediately dismissed from office due to a similar allegation.

“It reinforced my belief that the President knows that I did not do anything wrong. There was no public announcement whatsoever,” he added.

Andal said he was told by Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go not to worry, just take things easy and let the investigation process by the PCA board take its course.

Asked why he decided to reassume his post only now when he could have done so immediately, Andal said he gave the board the chance to do what is right.?“Inasmuch as I wanted to make an intelligent reply to traverse all the confabulated and fabricated lies thrown against me, such an effort would be futile considering that the board already prejudged me,” he said.

The Office of the Cabinet Secretary under Leoncio Evasco Jr. has not given any statement on the decision of Andal to return to the PCA.?“You cannot be the accuser, prosecutor and judge all at the same time,” Andal said, referring to the board.?“We both came from the underground, we should be comrades and we were together during the campaign but I don’t owe him anything,” he added, referring to Evasco.?The PCA chief said he is considering filing civil, criminal and administrative charges against Evasco before the Office of the Ombudsman.

“The legal options against the unjust and baseless accusation against me (are) wide open,” Andal said.?Last March, Andal was suspended to enable the board as disciplining authority to conduct an unhampered investigation of recent events involving him based on a board resolution.

Andal maintained he could not be kicked out as PCA administrator because he serves at the pleasure of Duterte and that he does not recognize the resolution of the board chaired by Evasco.