House leader pushes rice tariffication end

A ranking leader of the House of Representatives on Sunday rejected calls to scrap the National Food Authority amid the corruption allegations being leveled against it.

Agap Partylist Rep. Nicanor Briones, the vice chairperson of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, contended that instead of abolishing the NFA, Congress should amend the Rice Tariffication Law or Republic Act 11203.

He explained that what’s important is putting up the necessary measures to ward off the recurrence of the improper sale of massive rice buffer stocks to private traders. Underscoring the crucial need for amending the RTL, Briones said the disposal of rice buffer stock, which is currently the subject of congressional inquiry, is one of the critical areas to be established.

“It should not be sold to traders. It should be sold to government agencies. Many are in need, such as the BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology),” said the lawmaker, who also chairs the House Committee on Cooperative Development. “The government incurred a huge loss. [The NFA should have been given the P25 rice] to our constituents looking for cheap rice,” Briones continued.