NFA officials’ suspension over rice deal a stern warning – DA

NFA rice. INQUIRER FILE / RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines — The preventive suspension order against 139 officials and employees of the National Food Authority (NFA) should serve as a stern warning to government officials who are testing the resolve of the current administration to cleanse government agencies, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on Monday.

On Sunday, the Ombudsman suspended for six months NFA administrator Roderico Bioco and 138 others from the agency amid an ongoing investigation into the alleged disadvantageous sale of rice buffer stocks.

The Ombudsman’s suspension order took effect on Monday, March 4, and marks the DA Chief’s start as NFA’s temporary administrator.

In a statement following the suspension’s effectivity, the DA quoted Laurel as saying that the mass suspension of NFA officials “should be viewed as a “stern warning” to those seeking to test the resolve of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to cleanse government agencies, particularly the DA, whose primarily stakeholders are millions of poor farmers and fisherfolk.”

Laurel also explained that the preventive suspension will allow the Ombudsman to gather documents and evidence related to the alleged sale of rice buffer stocks which is “greatly disadvantageous to (the) government.”

“We intend to dig deep and welcome those who would come forward to assist us in probing the NFA. The Ombudsman and the Department of Agriculture are coordinating on this investigation that could go back years, at least as far back as 2019,” Laurel added.

He further said that he cannot give further details while the Ombudsman’s investigation is ongoing but noted that he will make the results public as soon as they are available.

In late February, the DA said that it has started a probe into the alleged sale of thousands of tons of rice by the NFA at a disadvantageous price for the government to certain traders.

The DA said that this sale by the NFA did not undergo the usual bidding process.

NFA, however, clarified that the rice, which it sold at P25 per kilogram, were “aging” and had to be disposed of since they only had a maximum storage time of three months.

Meanwhile also on Monday, Senator Imee Marcos formally sought a Senate inquiry into the reported “irregular disposition and sale” of repackaged rice stocks by the NFA.