It’s illegal for government to import rice. Yet the National Food Authority announced last month that it intends to do just that. It even claimed to have secured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s approval.
Days later, however, a Department of Agriculture official debunked NFA’s plan. “NFA importation is not possible,” said Usec. Mercedita Sombilla. “We didn’t discuss importation; the President knows that.”
Still, anything goes with the DA and attached agencies like NFA. In late February for instance, the Sugar Regulatory Administration set for bidding the importation of 440,000 tons of refined sweetener. Senior Usec. Domingo Panganiban then announced he already chose since January only three importers from a three-page list.
“Government-sponsored cartel,” Senator Risa Hontiveros branded that sham bidding. Ignoring her, Panganiban instructed SRA to clear 6,500 tons earlier seized by Customs. Worth P650 million, the contraband was brought in by one of the three favored traders in early February, before SRA even decided the 440,000-ton necessity.
Marcos Jr. is secretary of agriculture. As such, he chairs NFA, SRA and other DA affiliates. Subordinates wangle his consent to make the crooked look straight.
The 2019 Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203) forbade government from rice trading. Only private individuals or groups may now import rice at 35 percent duty.
NFA is limited to buffer stocking for emergencies like typhoon, earthquake, volcanic eruption, crop failure. It must procure such hedge stock from Filipino farmers, not foreigners.
NFA needs 330,000 tons buffer this 2023. It says it may not be able to buy enough from local farmers. Will it spend its P9-billion budget on imports by hook or by crook?
That P9 billion is money of the Filipino people meant to benefit Filipino farmers. Importing will enrich traders in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, China and India.
Only director-general Guillermo Eleazar, straight as an arrow, finally required the use of body-cams in 2021. The gadget became part of policemen’s basic gear, along with badge, notepad, pen, baton, handcuffs, sidearm.
But when Eleazar retired from service, the National Police reverted to its old criminal ways. Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, son and nephew of two bemedaled police generals, told Sapol-dwIZ he will legislate mandatory use of body-cams.
Fast rewind to 2016-2019. Police conducted dozens of drug operations per week nationwide. Shabu laboratories and vice lord hideouts were raided. Street buy-busts entrapped pushers. Seven thousand suspects were killed because “nanlaban” (fought back). Three dozen lawmen perished too.
The National Police can’t produce the 7,000 weapons supposedly used by the suspects in fighting back. More basic, they did not think of wearing body cameras which counterparts in Asia, America and Europe have been using for two decades.
Consequence: president/commander-in-chief Rodrigo Duterte and then-National Police head Ronald dela Rosa are now under investigation. The International Criminal Court, hearing accounts of victims’ families and human rights lawyers, says up to 24,000 suspects were summarily executed.
Duterte and Dela Rosa can be charged with crimes against humanity. International warrants of arrests might be issued against them. They will have nowhere to hide from lawmen and bounty hunters.
All because they neglected body-cams.
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