President Rodrigo Duterte wants Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista to lead the National Food Authority (NFA), following the exit of its former chief Jason Aquino.
“Pwede ka muna sa NFA siguro, to rationalize the idiotic… para maplano, make it structura (Maybe you can be assigned at the NFA..to plan, set up structures),” Duterte said during a situation briefing on the effects of Typhoon “Ompong” at the Cagayan Provincial Capitol in Tuguegarao City on Sunday.
The topic of new leadership for the NFA was brought up when Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III mentioned the problem surrounding the food council and asked the president if someone can take over NFA for the meantime to resolve the rice crisis, especially in Region 2.
The President then asked Bautista, commanding general of the Philippine Army who is set to retire in October, to lead the council.
The president has announced in the past that he was looking for a new administrator of the NFA, the agency at the heart of the ongoing controversy on the rice supply. /ee