‘I won’t succumb to mudslinging’

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala: I’ll not succumb. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala on Tuesday said he will not “engage in mudslinging” with his detractors whom he alleged were behind the plunder complaint that was filed against him at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Lawyer Argee Guevarra filed the complaint against Alcala and National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Orlan Calayag in connection with the importation earlier this year of 205,700 metric tons of milled rice, which Guevarra alleged was overpriced by P457.2 million.

“What they really want to do is to derail my work, throw me out of focus,” Alcala, a former congressman of Quezon province, said in an interview.

“I’ll not succumb. I will answer their accusations in the proper forum,” he said.

Alcala said he would not waver as long as he sees that farmers are benefiting from his efforts, adding that he knew there were “challenges such as this” when he took his post as agriculture chief.

This is the second plunder complaint in which Alcala was named, following one that was filed last October in connection with the misuse of the pork barrel, officially called the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Calayag declined to comment, saying he had not received an official copy of the complaint.

“I have explained this matter repeatedly and I have nothing new to say at the moment,” the NFA chief said.

Last week, Guevarra told the Inquirer that the order last May was for “high-grade” rice, but what the NFA sells is of “very poor quality, odorous and is barely edible.”

Calayag had answered Guevarra’s accusations, saying that the lawyer was mistaken about the price as he compared prices that included insurance, freight and other costs related to the handling of cargoes from port to warehouses to only the landing price.

The agriculture industry alliance Sinag (Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura) on Tuesday took up the cudgels for Alcala, accusing Guevarra of pursuing his own “pro-imporation,” saying that lifting quantitative restrictions on rice imports would cause irreparable damage to local farmers.

In a statement, Sinag said the plunder case filed by Guevarra is just a smokescreen to justify unrestricted rice imports.

“Mr. Guevarra engages in doublespeak when he sued agriculture officials for their rice imports and alleged overpricing, while pushing for the removal of quantitative restrictions (QRs). These QRs have benefited millions of Filipino rice farmers,” said Sinag chair Rosendo So.

“Since early October until today, rice farmers are able to sell their palay (unmilled rice) to traders and millers from P21-P22 per kilo—a far cry from the P17-P19 per kilo in previous years. Prices are good and supplies are stable, mainly from local production,” said So.