NATIONAL Food Authority Administrator Jason Aquino faces disciplinary sanctions that could lead to his removal over his repeated defiance of the orders of the NFA Council, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. said Sunday.
In a statement, Evasco, who is also the ex- officio chairman of the NFA Council, said Aquino’s disregard of the Council’s decision to extend the rice importation under the Minimum Access Volume was offensive to the country’s food security.
“The NFA administrator has actively refused to implement the lawful orders of the NFAC and directives of the [Cabinet Secretary] to publish and has even released a press statement countering the NFAC’s decision that the MAV has been extended to March 31,” Evasco said.
Instead, what were posted were extensions only for India and Pakistan when the Council explicitly granted an extension to all sources of origin.
“It is not for him [as NFA administrator] to decide whether an extension of the MAV is proper or not, let alone as to which sources of origin is entitled thereto.”
The NFA is one of the 12 agencies that have been placed under the supervision of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary pursuant to Executive Order 1.
Earlier, Aquino issued a statement denying that there was an extension to the Feb. 28, 2017 deadline for the arrival of rice imports under the MAV scheme.
“There’s no need to extend the deadline because there were others, including farmer cooperatives, that participated in the MAV and have complied with the deadline,” Aquino said.
“If these co-ops can do it, why can’t the others?”
Aquino also said farmers were now harvesting their summer crop and the arrival of rice imports could dampen the prices of their produce.
Evasco said of the 10 members of the NFA Council, nine were present during the Feb. 27 meeting and they voted for the extension of the MAV importation to March 31 from the original deadline of Feb. 28, while Aquino and none of the NFA management attended the meeting.
“Aquino, by using my name, has canceled the first two NFA Council meetings, thus the Council was compelled to convene the third time last February 27, during which he deliberately absented himself,” Evasco said.
