Members of the House of Representatives on Monday urged their counterparts in the Senate to pass, or adopt, a pending bill being touted as the answer to the skyrocketing rice prices.

House Bill (HB) 10381, which seeks to modify Republic Act 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act that was amended by the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), is expected to sail through House plenary voting following exhaustive hearings.

But Deputy Speaker David “Jay-jay” Suarez said the Senate must do its part by passing the measure instead of resolving the alleged return of corruption in the National Food Authority (NFA).

Suarez said that what’s important is to ease the financial strain on the consuming public, including in purchasing the staple grain.

“If we can pass this and enact it and implement it quickly, we can immediately reduce the price of rice by almost P15,” Suarez said in a press briefing. “I think that in itself is an objective we should all be united for. So I hope the Senate can act on this.”

The majority of senators have expressed opposition to reinstating the regulatory and importation authority of the NFA, which the Rice Tariffication Law removed.

Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, maintained that Congress should instead pass the proposed Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law, which would impose severe sanctions on smugglers, hoarders, and cartels believed to be the culprits behind the soaring prices of rice.

House leaders, however, are convinced that HB 10381 has enough safety nets to ensure that there would be less chance of the NFA getting embroiled in corruption.

Taguig Rep. Amparo Maria Zamora wanted senators to consider adopting the House version to expedite its passage.

“Although there are only three days left, we hope that our Senate counterparts would just adopt the House version so that there will be no need to go through the bicam and, therefore, its passage will be faster, this amendment to the Rice Tariffication Law,” she said.

Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun and La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega V joined their peers in prodding the Senate to act with urgency.

“We are pleading with our counterparts in the Senate that it is for the rice security of the country. I hope they will think carefully and pass this law,” Khonghun said.