A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Wednesday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take over management of the National Food Authority (NFA) amid charges of anomalous sale of the government’s rice buffer stocks by the agency.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said 79 warehouses managed by the NFA remained padlocked in light of the ongoing Ombudsman investigation on the alleged irregular sale of rice to selected traders
Rep. Wilbert T. Lee of AGRI party-list cited the need for the President to take over the NFA to speed up the purge of erring officials of the agency.
“There is no need for prolonged investigation. Very obvious, these involved senior NFA officials should be fired once-and-for all, these sloppy, corrupt and unthinking people who have led to this huge anomaly and suffering of our farmers,” Lee said in Filipino.
He added that the unscrupulous businessmen in cahoots with the corrupt NFA officials should also be prosecuted.
Lee earlier stressed the importance of a speedy resolution on the matter to protect farmers’ livelihood and the welfare of NFA employees who were suspended but are clearly innocent of any wrongdoing.
Lee filed House Resolution 1625 which aims to identify any gaps or loopholes in the existing policies of the NFA and determine what legislation is necessary to ensure the agency’s optimal utilization of goods and proper disposal methods.
The DA said 20 of the warehouses were scheduled to open following the Ombudsman’s move to lift the suspension of more than 20 NFA personnel.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel de Mesa told reporters during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay News Forum that the padlocked warehouses are located in Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Ombudsman Samuel Martires said the suspension order against 23 NFA personnel was lifted after investigators from his office found erroneous data in the list provided by the DA supposedly taken from the NFA.
The Ombudsman initially ordered a 90-day preventive suspension against 139 NFA officials and employees, including administrator Roderico Bioco and assistant administrator for operations John Robert Hermano, over the controversy. The suspension took effect on March 4.
Meanwhile, De Mesa gave assurance that the procurement of palay would be sustained.
Thus far, a total of 169 warehouses were active, while other similar facilities are also expected to open soon..
“The Secretary ordered the opening of the closed warehouses and replace the suspended warehouse personnel at the soonest. Procurement is unhampered during the ongoing harvest season,” De Mesa said.
Lee expressed concerns that the warehouse closures would continue to affect farmers’ incomes as palay prices have dropped by as much as P2 per kilo in Nueva Ecija.
Lee added that farmers are looking at the possibility of transporting palay to places such as Pampanga, but logistics concerns remain.
The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) has expressed apprehensions that the suspensions would affect the government’s capacity to buy rice stocks from farmers.
PCAFI president Danilo Fausto said his group was worried that traders could push buying prices below P20 per kilo, but added that this could be avoided if the NFA were ready to buy palay from the farmers.