HOUSE Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo lambasted the National Food Authority (NFA) for alleged “mekus-mekus” or manipulating its rice supplies in the country that led to the preventive suspension of its administrator and 138 other officials and employees of the agency.

Tulfo of the ACT-CIS partylist said this on Thursday during the inquiry, in aid of legislation, of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food chaired by Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, into the alleged anomalous sale of the 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.

Tulfo got irked and berrated NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco after he admitted that the sale of rice was not done thru proper bidding. Tulfo also castigated Bioco on how he chose the companies where the rice was sold.

“Yun ang excuse mo kaya mo ibinenta ng P25 per kilo, as is, where is, kasi malapit nang mabulok kaya niyo ibinenta?” Tulfo asked.

“Yes, because that’s the maximum allowable price,” Bioco replied.

“ 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.

“Bakit hindi niyo alam ang nangyayari, bakit hindi niyo alam ito? It looks like you’re not doing your job,” Tulfo noted.

“Baka po kayo ay tulog lang o baka po kayo ay nakapikit lang at nakapiring ang mata,” he added.

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.

“Wala po tayong letter directly,” Bioco said.

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

“We have a copy that you rejected DSWD dun sa request nila,” said Enverga.

Abang Lingkod partylist 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.

The cases against them included grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

It cited a Feb. 12, 2024, letter-complaint to the Office of the President filed by NFA Assistant Administrator for Operations Lemuel Pagayunan, claiming that Bioco and his assistant administrators acted with “manifest partiality, evident bad faith and/or gross inexcusable negligence” when they authorized the sale of allegedly aging stocks of milled rice to select traders at low prices without securing the NFA Council’s approval.

Bioco allegedly issued several memorandums allowing the sale of 75,000 bags of “deteriorating or aging” NFA rice totaling P93.75 million to the traders.