The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Atty. Demosthenes R. Escoto on Wednesday, April 17.
BREAKING: BFAR Dir. Demosthenes Escoto, dinismiss sa serbisyo ng Ombudsman| @dzrh5 Val Gonzales#SamaSamaTayoPilipino pic.twitter.com/0ns6IQ7J7G
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) April 17, 2024
According to the RH Val Gonzales report, the Ombudsman's order was received by the Agriculture Secretary. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
Laurel said Escoto was proven guilty of grave misconduct due to the complaint of corruption in the alleged purchase of communication equipment in 2018.
It can be recalled on January 18, Escoto took an oath as the new BFAR National Director.
To maintain BFAR's operation, Laurel immediately appointed Isidro M. Velayo, Director IV and Assistant Director for Technical Services of BFAR, to be the officer in charge (OIC).
“OIC Isidro Velayo, director IV and assistant director for technical services, is a career professional and respected official of BFAR. My marching order to him is to ensure that operations of the agency will not be affected by this legal development,” said Sec. Tiu Laurel.
Velayo was previously a national coordinator of BFAR’s seaweed program and the former director of BFAR Zamboanga Peninsula.
