FILE PHOTO: Former Presidential Assistant for Food Security & Agricultural Modernization Secretary Kiko Pangilinan during the Aquino administration and now an incumbent senator (UNTV News)
As a former presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization that governed the National Food Authority (NFA), Senator Francis Pangilinan has expressed disagreement over the issue of abolishing the NFA Council.
Sen. Pangilinan insisted that one of the functions of the NFA Council is to see if the country really needs to import rice.
It has also called for the investigation or audit of NFA rice.
Pangilinan said that during the Senate hearing, they found out that NFA rice supplies were being sold as commercial rice.
“Ipaliwanag ninyo bakit nagkakaroon ng diversion. Bakit nagkaroon ng 245% increase in releases of your stock? Where did it go?,” he said.
The lawmaker said there should be a law before NFA Council can be abolished; the president’s directive is not enough.
Malacañang said on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte wants the NFA to be under the Office of the President.
During the president’s meeting with the traders from Luzon Thursday night, they committed to giving 100,000 bags of rice every week that will be sold in the market at P37 per kilo through the NFA.
Agriculture secretary Manny Piñol said this system will be done until the imported rice arrives in the country.
President Duterte also appealed to the rice traders not overprice hoard the rice — Rey Pelayo | UNTV News & Rescue
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