Business as usual at NFA despite officials’ suspension

Agriculture Assistant Secretary and DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa | PHOTO: Official facebook page of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office CALABARZON

MANILA, Philippines – The National Food Authority (NFA) will continue with its operations despite the preventive suspension of its 139 officials and employees due to alleged involvement in the sale of rice buffer stocks, Agriculture Assistant Secretary and DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said on Tuesday.

The NFA is an attached agency under the Department of Agriculture.

The six-month suspension, which the Office of the Ombudsman ordered, took effect on Monday, March 4

“‘Yung mga next in rank ang uupo na mga regional managers at branch managers,” said de Mesa during a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Tuesday.

(The next in rank officers will serve regional managers and branch managers.)

Among the officials suspended were NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco, NFA Assistant Administrator for Operations John Robert Hermano, and several regional managers and warehouse supervisors.

In the meantime, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. will take over the leadership in the NFA.

Laurel, in a statement on Monday, said that he condemns and will not tolerate any kind of corruption within the NFA.

He is also in support of the Ombudsman’s goal to punish those found liable.