Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO/ Cathy Miranda
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Tuesday slammed Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol and the officials of National Food Authority (NFA) over the developing rice crisis in Zamboanga City.
In a statement, Pangilinan questioned Piñol what he has done to curb rice smuggling in Zamboanga City, which he repeatedly claimed to be the reason behind the rice shortage in the area.
“If Secretary Piñol has been in the know about the rice smuggling and other illegal transactions related to rice in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, what has he done about it? Why hasn’t he acted on it considering that he has been in the post for more than two years now?” Pangilinan said.
The Agriculture chief earlier stressed that the reason why there is rice shortage in Zamboanga City was that of its dependence on smuggled rice.
The senator also asked the NFA officials to “explain the alleged diversion of rice stocks that drove prices up in some parts of Mindanao.”
“With the arrival of imported rice, why hasn’t the supply stabilized? With its funds and with the support coming from the government, the public expects effective and efficient work from the NFA,” the senator said.
Pangilinan noted that NFA isn’t even tasked to earn money “but simply to spend funds to ensure that Filipinos would be able to buy affordable and quality rice.”
However, Pangilinan said, “our food officials have not lived up to the task.”
The NFA has been criticized over its alleged failure to curb the rising prices of rice in Zamboanga City, which is currently under the state of calamity. /jpv
RELATED STORY
DA execs find rice shortage caused by war on smuggling