Press Release - Senator Imee Marcos wary of the push to grant more powers to 'dysfunctional,' scandal-laden NFA

Sen. Imee Marcos is wary about proposals to allow the National Food Au- thority (NFA) to directly import rice and sell the food staple directly to public markets due to persistent allegations of overimportation, overpric- ing, smuggling, missing barge-loads of rice, kickbacks, favoritism and other types of questionable and corrupt practices against the agency through the years.

"Takot na takot ako... kinakabahan ako sa posisyon ng administrasyon na palawakin pa ang kapangyarihan ng NFA. Nakalimutan na ba natin? Marso pa lang yun, na-suspende ang 139 employees" Marcos said in a media interview (NET 25) Wednesday, May 8, on pending measures before the House of Representatives to restore some of NFA's functions as part of government efforts to address surging rice prices.

She added, "Pambihira naman yang NFA na yan! Hindi na tumama... na- pakapalpak... parang nakailang appointment na dyan. Ibig sabihin, may problema talaga. So as much as I hate to admit it, dysfunctional na yang sistema ng NFA."

Marcos cited the 6-month preventive suspension meted by the Office of the Ombudsman in March on 139 NFA officials, led by NFA administrator Roderico Bioco, due to the allegedly disadvantageous sale of rice buffer stocks. In a matter of days, Bioco's temporary replacement, Piolito San- tos, and acting department manager for operations, Jonathan Yazon, were also suspended.

This recent scandal involved the alleged sale of 75,000 bags of fresh emergency buffer stocks misdeclared as "deteriorating or aging" to 2 fa- vored traders without public bidding and without the NFA Council's ap- proval. The sale amounted to P93.75 million, where the buffer stock was sold at P25 a kilo when the market price was at P70 a kilo.

"Hindi na natigil ang kalokohan sa NFA. Aminin ko, may sentimental at- tachment ako sa NFA 'pagkat yun ay itinatag, binuo ng tatay ko. At noong panahon na yun, para naman nagwo-work siya kasama ng Kadiwa, ng FTI (Food Terminal Incorporated), isang buong sistema siya ng buying and distribution. Maski yung pag-i-i-stock, yung buffer supply ng Pilipinas, wala naman silang mabili," Marcos said.

The senator lamented the NFA's poor performance and corruption-laden public