A PROBE into alleged unauthorized sale of National Food Authority’s (NFA) rice stock has been ordered by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
In a statement on Tuesday, Tiu Laurel said that the price is disadvantageous to the government adding the DA is already creating a panel of investigators who will look into allegations that certain NFA officials allegedly authorized the sale of milled rice stored in the agency’s warehouse for P25 per kilo without bidding and after purchasing the grains in palay form at P23 per kilo.
“We do not brush aside reports of impropriety against officials of the Department of Agriculture, regardless of the source. We also welcome any government agency who may wish to conduct their own probe to ferret out the truth,” said Tiu Laurel.
“We are custodians of government funds—monies to be spent for the benefit of Filipinos, especially farmers and fisherfolk. Taxpayers’ money shouldn’t be squandered to line anybody’s pockets,” added the Agriculture chief.
The Rice Tariffication Law, which allowed liberalized importation of rice, removed the NFA’s role to regulate the rice sector as well as it being the only agency allowed to import rice shipments into the country.
