(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ RAFFY LERMA)
MANILA, Philippines — The government’s rice buffer stocks, which were reportedly sold by the National Food Authority (NFA) to certain traders at a low price, should have been made available to local and public markets, according to House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Romualdez’s statement was revealed by House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“I talked to the speaker a few days ago, and he was slightly annoyed. He said the rice should have been sent out to markets — all markets should have been given sacks of rice so that many locals benefited from it,” the lawmaker said in a statement referring to the rice sold by NFA for as low as P25 per kilo.
Tulfo stressed that those behind the sale should be held accountable and be punished accordingly.
“It’s a shame, and besides, we’re supposed to be one with our people; our compatriots were also annoyed because you just sold it cheap. Why didn’t you sell it in the market?” he said.
On Thursday, March 7, the House committee on agriculture will conduct a hearing on the reported irregular transaction.
Tulfo, along with his fellow lawmakers, plans to question the NFA for selling the rice to traders — who “re-bagged and sold them to their customers.Tulfo said that those who are responsible should be penalized.
“Dapat ho talaga managot sila, dapat makasuhan sila,” he said.
(They should be accountable and penalized.)
On Monday, the Office of the Ombudsman placed NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco and 138 other officials and employees of the agency under preventive suspension for six months amid the ongoing investigation into the alleged anomalous sale of the government’s rice buffer stocks.
As stated in its order, the Ombudsman said it found “sufficient grounds” to suspend the NFA officials and employees as “there is strong evidence showing their guilt.” The charges against them included grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.