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

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

He added, “That is our mandate, as instructed by Secretary (Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.), to ensure that there is no tampering.”

“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,” he said.

Based on his initial assessment, Lacson said he has seen things that need to be fixed.

“Structurally and legally, there is. As a GOCC [government-owned or controlled corporation], I also look at the state of its 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.

Mum on rice scam probe

Lacson, however, said that he could not 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.

Lacson was the unanimous choice of the NFA Council to be the agency’s OIC, according to Secretary Laurel.

Before his designation, Lacson was involved in agribusiness 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 as director from July 2009 to August 2010.

Six-month suspensions

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman has ordered a six-month preventive suspension for 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 a very low 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 Ombudsman investigators found errors in the data provided by the Department of Agriculture, which Laurel said initially came from the NFA.