Sen. Cynthia Villar (left). PRIB photo
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Cynthia Villar gave officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) a dressing down anew on Monday, accusing them of being linked with smuggling and making money out of imported rice.
Villar even suggested that those involved with irregularities at the NFA to just avail of early retirement and get out of the agency.
The issue of NFA’s rice buffer stocking was again raised during the hearing of the Senate finance subcommittee on the proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies for 2020.
“Tigilan mo na yang buffer stocking na ‘yan (Stop with that buffer stocking)…” Villar told NFA Administrator Judy Carol Dansal, noting NFA’s repeated excuse they could not buy rice from local farmers because their warehouses are still full of buffer stock.
She said the NFA should have sold the rice at its warehouses and used the money to buy local rice.
“Kasi kami ang napapahamak e. Ang tingin tuloy namin sa NFA, kasabawat kayo ng cartel e (We’re the ones who get blamed. It looks now as if the NFA is an accomplice of the cartel),” she said.
Villar then directed the NFA to report to her every two weeks.
“Huwag mo kaming lolokohin. Hindi kami lokohin. Matatalino kami. Kaya lang kami matitino sa kabutihan. Kayo kasi yata matitino sa kalokohan (Don’t fool us. We’re not fools. We’re smart. We’re sensible in being good. Maybe you all are good at mischief),” she said.
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros also questioned the alleged “abnormally massive” importations of rice before the enactment of the Rice Tarification Law early this year.
READ: Rice tariffication signed into law
But Dansal denied this, saying the purchase of imported rice was made last year but there had been delays with the delivery as some only arrived at the start of the year.
Villar did not accept the NFA official’s explanation and insisted there were massive rice importations before the passage of the law.
“Bumili kayo ng marami para i-circumvent niyo ‘yung (You bought a lot to circumvent the) Rice Tariffication because after the Rice Tariffication Law, you can’t import anymore. And we all know you make money out of importation.”
“‘Yung hindi makatiis sa NFA na hindi sila kikita e ‘di mag early retirement na, at doon kayo kumita sa ibang industry…” she later said.
(Those who can’t bear being in the NFA and not getting money should just get early retirement. Go find money in another industry.) /je