MANILA: The House Committee on Agriculture and Food will investigate the alleged improper sale of rice buffer stocks on Thursday in line with the chamber’s efforts to lower the price of the staple in the country, its chairperson has said.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga said Speaker Martin Romualdez has directed his panel to investigate the disadvantageous sale of 75,000 sacks of rice by the National Food Authority (NFA), saying that there will be no sacred cows in the investigation.
‘The Speaker has always tasked the Committee to probe anything. Wala pong sasantuhin, walang sisinuhin. Kaya nga po automatic na sa amin at nabanggit nga po niya, make this a priority (No one can get away with impunity. This is automatic for us and as he said, we will make this a priority),’ Enverga said.
Enverga said the investigation would be conducted in a “motu proprio manner” or without a formal request because the resolution seeking to probe the same transaction was not referred to the panel
yet due to the chamber’s immense work with the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution.
House Resolution (HR) No. 1611 was filed last Feb. 27 by Enverga and Rep. Robert Raymund Estrella of ABONO Party-list.
Enverga earlier commended the Office of the Ombudsman and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel for acting swiftly on the controversy involving the NFA.
The Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco and 138 other agency officials for their alleged participation in the questionable transaction.
Laurel, for his part, vowed to stay on top of the situation while ensuring the continuous operation of NFA.
‘To avoid any delays in the services and projects of the agency, I will temporarily take over the leadership of the NFA. Apart from the suspended NFA personnel, who as we speak after being served their suspension,’ Laurel added.
Besides creating an investigating panel, Laurel said the Department of Agriculture is in close coordination with the Office of
the Ombudsman.
The preventive suspension shall take effect for six months without pay beginning March 4.
Source: Philippines News Agency