Ombuds wants list of NFA rice retailers

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered National Food Authority to strictly monitor subsidized rice retailers following complaints of giving favors to rich consumers at the expense of the poor who have been queuing in various NFA rice outlets just to buy a kilo or two.

Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca Santiago said they have called the attention of NFA regional director Danilo Bonabon regarding this.

The anti-graft office likewise asked the NFA to furnish them a list of all accredited NFA rice retailers by the NFA especially in barangay T. Padilla where complaints of alleged favoritism in selling subsidized rice came from.

The Ombudsman earlier opened a fact-finding investigation following complaints, through the anti-graft’s weekly radio program over dyLA, of unfair treatment by an NFA retail outlet in T. Padilla.

The complainant said that while all of them were queuing under the heat of the sun just to be able to buy one kilo because of the limit that the government has set, a wealthy-looking man parked his car in front of them and easily bought one sack of rice.

The Ombudsman is looking into the complaint to find out if NFA officials have been negligent in their functions to monitor their outlets.   — Fred P. Languido/BRP