Roque vows to charge NFA chief over rice ‘mess’

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (left) said he would file technical malversation charges against NFA administrator Jason Aquino if no one else would over the ‘mess’ the latter made. INQUIRER FILES

If no one files a case against outgoing National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Jason Aquino, then Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said he would.

Roque believes that Aquino is guilty of technical malversation, citing a Commission on Audit (COA) report, which showed that Aquino did not use the NFA’s budget to buy buffer stock from local producers.

“It is technical malversation,” the Palace spokesman told ABS-CBN News Channel on Tuesday.

Asked then if he would recommend the filing of a case against Aquino, Roque said “Yes because he made a mess out of the rice market.”

“He (Aquino) contributed to the problem of inflation. He should be held liable. If no one files, I will,” he added.

He said the outgoing NFA official “played around with the commodities that are close to our stomach” and that he made a big problem for President Rodrigo Duterte.

“I’ll repeat it, the rice shortage, the rice problem, the high prices of rice, is self-inflicted damage by the NFA and the COA says so. So why shouldn’t we hold them liable?” he asked.

Roque said he told the President that Aquino was “part of the problem.”

While the President might have no idea that he was willing to file a case against Aquino, Roque was certain that Duterte knew that he was not just a “yes man.”

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