Speaker Romualdez: No sacred cows in war vs rice anomaly
SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has directed that there will be no sacred cows in this Thursday’s investigation by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food into the alleged anomalous and highly irregular sale of 75,000 bags of rice by the National Food Authority (NFA) to certain traders, Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, chair of the panel, said Wednesday.
“The Speaker has always tasked the Committee to probe anything. Wala pong sasantuhin, walang sisinuhin. Kaya nga po automatic na sa amin at nabanggit nga po niya, make this a priority,” Enverga responded to a reporter’s question during the daily press briefings of the House of Representatives.
“I am here also to appraise everyone on the developments in the Committee on Agriculture and Food. Just for everyone’s information, May I invite everyone tomorrow that we will be conducting our moto proprio inquiry in aid of legislation particular to the issue on NFA. So, I hope that we see you also tomorrow,” he said.
Speaker Romualdez directed the committee to investigate the disadvantageous sale of 75,000 sacks of rice by the NFA, as part of the Speaker’s efforts to lower the price of rice by going after rice smugglers and wrongdoers.
Enverga said a resolution was filed in the House of Representatives last week seeking to probe the same transaction, but due to the immense work the chamber is doing with proposed amendments to the Constitution, it was not entered into the calendar.
“We filed a resolution last week, but unfortunately, due to the gravity of work here in Congress, hindi po na-refer sa amin yet. That’s why he (Speaker Romualdez) instructed us to do it in a moto proprio manner,” Enverga explained.
House Resolution (HR) No. 1611 was filed last February 27 by Enverga and Rep. Robert Raymund Estrella of ABONO party list.
Enverga earlier commended the Office of the Ombudsman and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel for acting swiftly on the controversy involving the NFA.
The Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco and 138 other agency officials for their alleged participation in the questionable transaction.
Laurel implemented the order Monday.
The rice stocks Bioco allegedly allowed to be sold without public bidding were worth P93 million.
