NFA can still function despite mass suspension of personnel: DA exec

MANILA — The National Food Authority (NFA) can still function despite the suspension of over 100 personnel over the illegal sale of rice stock to commercial traders, an Agriculture official said on Tuesday.

So far, 139 officials including the NFA administrator, 26 branch managers and 12 regional managers have been suspended, said Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa.

139 NFA officials, employees suspended over sale of rice buffer stocks

Ombudsman suspends 139 NFA personnel

“Bagamat ganito karami ang nasuspinde, mayroon namang enough na personnel pa ang NFA para iyong mga papalit ay magkaroon din ng kapangyarihan o authority para yung mga bodega natin, mga warehouses ay mananatili in operations,” he told state television PTV.

(Despite the number of suspensions, NFA has enough personnel so that our warehouses will still have manpower.) 

“‘Yung mga next in rank ang uupo na mga regional at branch managers at yun namang mga warehouse supervisor ay magtatalaga na rin,” he added.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel issued the mass preventive suspension order after the Office of the Ombudsman flagged the agency’s disadvantageous sale of rice buffer stocks.

Under the law, the NFA is mandated to procure 15 to 30 days-worth of rice buffer stock from local farmers to ensure that the country would have sufficient supply in the event of a calamity or disaster. It is unauthorized to sell rice to traders.

The NFA will hold an emergency council meeting on March 6 to finalize the details of its operations to ensure that the agency will remain functional despite the controversy, De Mesa said.

“Mayroon din tayong internal audit na nagrereview kasama ang Ombudsman para malaman kung ano ang mga naging problema ng NFA at matiyak na hindi na mauulit,” De Mesa said.

“Babalikan simula 2019 hindi lang itong transaction simula noong November last year,” he said.

Several House lawmakers have also agreed to launch its own probe into the NFA’s illegal trade.

"We are one with our people mga kababayan po natin na naiinis. Binenta mo lang palang mura bakit di mo pa binenta sa palengke? Dapat  ho talaga panagutan  yan,” said House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo.

"Kung hindi ba naman lapastangan naman ho yun saka insulto. Dapat ho talaga managot sila dapat makasuhan sila. There will be a hearing on Thursday, this coming Thursday yung Committee on Agriculture we'll find out why,” he said.

Private rice traders who profited from the NFA’s illegal transaction should also be investigated, said Bicol Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon.

"Hindi lamang dapat sa mga public officials involved nakatuon ang imbestigasyon pati na rin po sa mga pribadong indibidwal na kasabwat po nito na mga public officials natin ay makasama din dapat sa mga makasuhan,” he said in a press conference.

"I see the advantages of the work that the NFA is doing so perhaps before we take decision on what needs to be done there has to be an extensive evaluation of whether or not the NFA is currently performing their mandate and whether the scope of work and responsibilities is still appropriate for the times,” Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing added.

Earlier, 2 lawmakers  urged the House Committee on Agriculture and Food to investigate the alleged improper disposition of National Food Authority Rice Stocks to selected rice traders as authorized by the NFA administrator in violation of existing riles and procedures.

Authored by its Committee Chairman Quezon 1st District Rep. Mark Enverga and ABONO Party List Chair Robert Raymund Estrella, House Resolution 1611 cites that on February 12, NFA Assistant Administrator for Operations Engr. Lemuel Pagayunan submitted a report to the chairperson and members of the NFA Council containing among other several document citations authorizing various regional managers to release/issue certain volumes of NFA rice bags to some rice traders with corresponding identification of the amount paid to the NFA.

"Said report contained allegations that the rice sold to the rice traders mentioned in the report (some 75000 bags) were treated as a "aging and deteriorating" stocks but actually found to be fit for human consumption,” HR 1611 read.

"The aforementioned disposition of NFA rice stocks without proper bidding and notices where the buyers were pre-selected, bereft of proper authorization from the NFA council, violates the rules and guidelines on the proper disposition of NFA stocks,” it read.

HR 1611 also claimed that the selected rice traders who bought the said sticks at a price much lower than the prevailing price of P1250.bag have allegedly rebagged  and sold those stocks at "very much higher prices.”

Meantime, consumers may expect lower rice prices within the month as the harvest season draws near, the DA official said.

“Nasa 49-50 peso level na yung prevailing prices. Inaasahan natin na lalo pa itong bababa dahil ngayong March nagsimula na yung harvest natin ng palay,” he said.

“Magpi-peak ito ng March at April… which in turn magbababa pa ng presyo ng bigas sa ating mga pamilihan sa susunod na araw at linggo,” he said.

Farmgate prices of rice are currently between P25 and P26, resulting into a retail price of around P49 to P50, he said.

Consumers of the staple grain in the Philippines should also be at ease despite the El Niño as affected rice paddies so far is only at 0.5 percent of the total rice area in the country, De Mesa said.

Decrease in rice production due to the El Niño is pegged at around 0.11 percent, he said. — with a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News