The newly appointed officer-in-charge of the National Food Authority said Wednesday that its top priority is ensuring the agency’s uninterrupted operations amid the probe into the controversial rice scam.

“The marching order is to really not hamper the operations, the purchase of rice will continue,” NFA OIC Larry Lacson said in a radio interview, citing that he is currently in a warehouse in Daet witnessing the acquisition of palay from farmers.

“That is our mandate, as instructed by Secretary [Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.], to make sure that there is no hampering,” he continued.

“On the other hand, when it comes to what happened, I'm in the process of reviewing all the processes and procedures to really see if there are gaps, if there are gray areas, and if there is something that should be improved [or] fixed, as moving forward, the NFA will be guided properly.”

Based on his initial assessment, Lacson said that he already saw something to be fixed.

“Structurally and legally, there is. As a GOCC [government-owned or controlled corporation], I also look at the state of financial health because we are from the private sector. I want to understand why this is happening. We are looking at all aspects,” he said.

Lacson, however, noted that he cannot, as of the moment, disclose information regarding the rice scam probe.

“I promise, once I can say it, I will say it, no problem. We just need to see carefully and properly so that when we speak, it will be clear,” he said.

On Monday, Lacson was unanimously appointed by the NFA Council as the agency’s OIC, according to agri chief Laurel.

Before his NFA designation, Lacson was involved in the agribusiness industry as a member of Philippine Food Expo Inc. and served as co-chairman of the agriculture and fisheries committee of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He also worked for the Bureau of Plant Industry for over 19 years, where he served as the director from July 2009 to August 2010.

The Ombudsman has ordered a six-month preventive suspension of 141 NFA officials and employees, including administrator Roderico Bioco and assistant administrator of operations John Robert Hermano, following the agency's reported sale to private traders of 75,000 bags of rice buffer stock at P25 per kilo.

Prior to Lacson, Laurel appointed NFA acting assistant administrator for finance and administration Piolito Santos as the agency’s OIC, but he was later suspended by the Ombudsman, along with the acting department manager for operations and coordination, Jonathan Yazon.

Last week, the suspension of 24 NFA employees was lifted after the investigators of the Ombudsman found errors in the data provided to his office by the Department of Agriculture, which he said initially came from the NFA.