The House agriculture and meals panel investigation on the alleged promoting of National Food Authority (NFA) rice shares with out public bidding won’t spare anybody, House agriculture and meals panel chairperson and Quezon lawmaker Mark Enverga stated Wednesday.
Enverga made the assertion within the aftermath of the Office of the Ombudsman’s order to droop at the very least 139 NFA officers over alleged sale of milled rice saved within the company’s warehouse for P25 a kilogram with out bidding and after buying the grains in palay (unmilled rice) type at P23 per kilogram.
“The Speaker has always tasked the Committee to probe everything. Walang sasantuhin, walang sisinuhin,” he stated in a press convention, referring to Speaker Martin Romualdez.
(There can be no sacred cows, we received’t defend anyone from something.)
“Automatic na po sa amin [It’s automatic for us] to make this a priority. We actually filed the Resolution last week, but unfortunately, due to the gravity of the work here in Congress, it was not immediately referrred to our committee, so we will do it in a motu propio manner,” Enverga added.
He stated that the inquiry can be anticipated to shed gentle if NFA’s existence stays worthwhile.
“This is in aid of legislation, so we will look at the functions of the NFA. What is it lacking of? Are they still relevant to the times?” he stated.
“There will be a lot of learnings here, in time of the looming mandatory review of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL),” he added.
Under the RTL, rice import tariff collections in extra of P10 billion ought to go on to farmers tilling two hectares of land and under within the type of money grants. Likewise, the RTL lifted import limits on rice.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday introduced the appointment of Piolito Santos as officer-in-charge of the NFA. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
