Calls for corruption probe widen after ex-NIA worker’s slay
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The murder of a former employee of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Northern Mindanao region on Oct. 10 has triggered wider calls for a thorough investigation into the attack as well as alleged “ghost” infrastructure projects that he had exposed.
In a statement, Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Jose Cabantan described Niruh Kyle Antatico as “a courageous advocate for truth, justice, and integrity … who spoke with conviction amid the recurring issues of graft and corruption that continue to wound our nation.”
“The price of standing for truth, as his death painfully reminds us, can be tragically high,” Cabantan added.
Antatico was shot and killed on Friday last week by two men on a motorcycle in Barangay Patag here. A security camera footage of the attack showed one of the suspects knocked on his car, prompting Antatico to open the window. This was followed by at least five gunshots before the gunmen fled.
According to the police, Antatico had received death threats since 2024, apparently due to his exposé of alleged corruption in NIA projects although these were not reported to the police.
Review, verification
Antatico was a former senior legal researcher at the NIA regional office during which tenure he had knowledge about graft practices in the agency, especially about an unfinished P95-million irrigation project in Lanao del Sur province that was reported as completed.
Antatico, through his social media posts, also revealed supposed disbursements of irrigation subsidies that he claimed never reached the intended beneficiaries.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the NIA regional office said it was aware of social media posts raising concerns about agency projects in Northern Mindanao.
It assured the public that the issues “are being handled seriously” and that its top management had launched a “comprehensive review and verification process” with the help of relevant offices and authorities.
The agency reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability, saying it “does not tolerate any form of irregularity in the implementation of its programs and projects.”
It urged the public to avoid speculation and “allow due process to take its course.”
On Wednesday, Police Capt. Emelita Simon, spokesperson for the Cagayan de Oro police, told reporters that they have identified “persons of interest” in Antatico’s murder.
“We have established pieces of evidence and identified persons of interest. However, [they] are not necessarily suspects. They could be eyewitnesses,” she told reporters, adding that she cannot divulge the names to avoid disrupting the ongoing probe.
Simon also said a Special Investigation Task Group Antatico (SITG) had been established to look deeper into the case. The SITG is composed of the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and NIA Northern Mindanao.
“We are currently ‘backtracking’ the shooting incident … From [Antatico’s] residence to the places he visited in the past days, police have been conducting backtracking operations,” she said.
Simon said the ‘backtracking’ phase includes the possible time when the gunmen started tailing Antatico. “Our backtracking does not only cover the day of the incident but also when the threats against the victim began,” she added.
Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano, Northern Mindanao regional police director, said a gun-for-hire group could be involved in the crime.
The NIA regional office has put up a P100,000 reward money for anyone who could help identify the suspects in Antatico’s murder.
