—DEMPSEY REYES

Two years ago, as environment undersecretary under the Duterte administration, Benny Antiporda had to defend the widely criticized “dolomite beach” project on Manila Bay that cost taxpayers around P389 million. Last week, Antiporda was back in the news, this time after the Ombudsman ordered his six-month suspension (without pay) as acting administrator of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). Hounding him now is a complaint filed by NIA employees and lawyers accusing him of grave misconduct and oppression, among others. The grievances stemmed from his supposed humiliation of NIA personnel and his threats not to renew their appointments “if they do not side with him or do not act inconsonance with his policies.” Antiporda, a former journalist, denied the accusations, dismissing them as petty and coming from those affected by his internal anticorruption drive. He particularly cited two NIA lawyers who had lost a case and forced the agency to pay P205 million in damages to a construction company.