SENATOR Edgardo Angara yesterday challenged the Department of Agriculture and even colleagues in the Upper Chamber to conduct a "full and fair audit" of the P10 billion Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF).

Angara, author of the law establishing ACEF, took exception to reports singling him out as a beneficiary of the funds, having allegedly benefited from irregularities in the fund's utilization. Sen. Franklin Drilon, head of the Senate oversight committee on agriculture, disclosed the alleged irregularity in the disbursement of the ACEF fund during the Arroyo government.

ACEF was enacted through Section 8 of Republic Act 8178 in 1996. The ACEF was created to give funding assistance to farmers, fishermen and entrepreneurs.

"I call for--and welcome--a performance audit of the ACEF. They should publish all the names of the beneficiaries of ACEF, from day one to present, whether individuals, corporations, provinces or universities,” said Angara.

“It should be very easy to trace where the money went and how it was used. I see no reason not to publish this information, unless there really are ghost beneficiaries,” said Angara, a former secretary of agriculture during the administration of former President Joseph Estrada.

He added: "Let us conduct an honest-to-goodness performance audit of ACEF to resolve the controversy once and for all, instead of resorting to useless and damaging labeling that characterizes the ACEF as worse than the fertilizer scam. It is irresponsible to single me out and impute irregularities without proof. Do not turn this into a witch-hunt."

Angara's home province of Aurora received a total of P300 million from the ACEF—P100 million for the Aurora State College of Technology's (ASCOT) Enhancement of Technology-Based Agribusiness Industry in 2007, and P200 million for the Baler-Casiguran Road in 2008.

“Just because I am a native of Aurora does not mean I made a profit from ACEF. Aurora is just one of many provinces that benefited from ACEF," he said. Angara is confident that the funds allotted for the Aurora projects were channeled to the right beneficiaries and properly spent.

He noted that ASCOT has been bolstering programs in fisheries, agriculture and forestry, hiring experts and training farmers and fishermen in the local community. The Baler-Casiguran road has significantly improved the travel time from Manila to Baler, cutting it from nine hours to five.

Angara said that both projects are eligible under the implementing guidelines on the utilization of the fund issued by the DA. Eligible projects include irrigation, farm to market roads, agri-based production, post-production and processing activities, post-harvest equipment and facilities, and training and extension services.

“We have results and outcomes to prove that the money was well-spent. There is nothing to hide,” he said as he invited DA and Commission on Audit officials to visit Aurora and see for themselves how ACEF fund was spent in the area.