MANILA, Philippines -- From the fertilizer scam to hybrid rice to jatropha, senators are blaming President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the looming rice crisis and for making the Philippines the world's biggest importer of the cereal.

“The rice crisis should be addressed and taken seriously by the government. The root cause is not only external shocks but issues related to high cost of inputs; absence or lack of forward planning; and the shift to corn and jatropha,'' said Senator Francis Escudero in a text message.

Escudero noted that the government's thrust to promote jatropha in support of the biofuels program could have diverted the funds intended for rice development to oil alternatives.

Senate President Manny Villar said that the government has a lot of explaining to do on the rice crisis.

“First, the rice cartel. A lot of people might be taking advantage of the situation. Second, the fertilizer scam where the government did not cooperate in our past investigation. Corruption in areas that directly affect the poor should never be tolerated. If our rice production is low, it is undeniable that fertilizer is one of the reasons,” said Villar in a press conference.

He cautioned the government against taking the rice crisis lightly because it could end up being a “very serious problem.”

Villar said that aside from being ineffective against the rice cartel, the government has likewise been lax in checking the long-standing corrupt practices in the National Food Authority (NFA).

“With the world price of rice spiraling, the government must do its best in handling the crisis because this could be more serious than the national broadband network scandal,” said Villar.

Villar suggested that the government seriously consider suspending the tariffs on rice imports in order to ensure steady supply for the country. “But we have to balance this with the interest of our farmers whose prices will suffer from the inflow of rice imports,” said Villar.