HOUSE Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Party-list Representative Erwin Tulfo lambasted and accused the National Food Authority (NFA) for alleged “mekus-mekus” or manipulating rice supplies.

The rice issue has led to the preventive suspension of its administrator and 138 other officials and employees of the agency.

During the Congressional hearing, Tulfo got irked and berated NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco after he admitted that the sale of rice was not through proper bidding. Tulfo also questioned Bioco over how he chose the companies to which the rice was sold.

Upon the instruction of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, the House Committee on Food and Agriculture, chaired by Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga has conducted investigation on the alleged anomalous sale of government’s rice buffer stocks.

“Sa tingin ko may plano talaga na i-hokus pokus ito, i-mekus-mekus itong mga stock na ito para maibenta sa mga private corporations,” Tulfo told the committee.

“Yun ang excuse mo kaya mo ibinenta ng P25 per kilo, as is, where is, kasi malapit nang mabulok kaya niyo ibinenta?” Tulfo asked Bioco to which he replied “Yes, because that’s the maximum allowable price,.”

“Bakit hindi sa gobyerno ibinenta bakit sa private corporation? Susmaryosep, November, December, ikot ng ikot ang House leadership naghahanap ng murang bigas. Ang tao nagugutom, napakamahal ng bigas sa mga oras na yun ang presyo ng bigas umaabot sa P70 (per kilo), meron pala kayong bigas na ganun. Bakit hindi nyo na lang sinabihan ang gobyerno na meron kayong bigas?” Tulfo averred.

“Talagang gumawa sila ng ‘hokus-pokus” para magic-in ito. Akala makakalimutan,” Tulfo added.

The congressman also assailed the Commission on Audit (COA) particularly the resident auditors of NFA for not doing their job and not closely monitoring the transactions in the agency.

The COA representative reasoned out that they failed to monitor the warehouses as it was located in the regional offices of NFA and it was under the regional auditors.

The lawmaker also questioned NFA for selling the rice buffer to private companies instead of giving it to government agencies such as Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bureau of Corrections and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) where stocks of rice are mostly needed.

“Bakit hindi nyo po ipinasa sa mga government agencies, bakit sa private corporations pa?” Tulfo questioned.

“Ang hawak natin by July and August mga aging stocks, kahit na i-remilled natin at kung hindi sila sang-ayon sa quality, then hindi sila bibili sa atin,” Bioco replied.

However, Bioco could not answer whether he informed the said government agencies regarding the stocks of rice.

Rep. Enverga, for his part, showed a letter of DSWD addressed to NFA requesting supplies of rice, but the latter rejected the request.

Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, on the other hand, also asked the committee to invite Officials from the Ombudsman to shed light on its investigation.

Earlier, the Office of the Ombudsman placed under preventive suspension for six months NFA Administrator Bioco and 138 other officials and employees of the agency amid the ongoing investigation into the alleged anomalous sale of the government’s rice buffer stocks.