Palace: NFA chief no longer authorized to talk about rice supply

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has barred National Food Authority Administrator Jason Aquino from speaking about the Philippines' rice supply, saying his recent statements caused panic that may have increased prices. 

 

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said all information about the country's rice supply situation will come from the NFA Council, an interagency body led by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco.

 

"There was an acknowledgement that statements made by the NFA administrator caused panic, which probably caused prices to rise. There was some disagreement on the figures presented yesterday (March 5) by the NFA Council, but ultimately it was agreed that there is no rice shortage," Roque said, noting that rice supply was discussed during last Monday's Cabinet meeting. 

 

 

The president in February approved the importation of 250,000 metric tons of rice to address reports of a shortage. According to reports at the time, NFA stocks would be fully depleted in 35 days, or before the imported rice finishes its 45-day journey to the Philippines.

 

"If we won’t import from Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, we will be hungry. That's the problem there," Duterte said then.

 

Evasco stressed in February that the Philippines is not facing a rice supply problem.

 

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Roque said Aquino's claim that the rice supply stocked by the NFA was only good for about one and a half days was "misleading." 

 

"The 1.5-day stockpile is if we did not have any other source of rice other than NFA. Meaning, if we only had NFA in our possession, we would only have 1.5 days' worth of supply. But the reality, of course, is that NFA constitutes a minority for our rice supply," the presidential spokesman said. 

 

"Bulk of our rice supply consist of commercial rise and that henceforth, it will be the NFA Council that shall speak on the current rice situation," he added. 

 

Roque said Duterte has ordered Aquino to attend the next Cabinet cluster meeting next month. 

 

Aquino told lawmakers last month that the remaining rice supply stocked by the NFA is just equivalent to about one and a half days. But the NFA chief clarified that the grains agency is not the only source of rice in the country, noting that there are also commercial and household stocks. 

 

The NFA Council has approved the importation of 250,000 metric tons of rice to augment the grains agency's buffer stock. The grains agency is required to have a buffer stock that is good for at least 15 days during harvest season and a 30-day buffer stock during the lean months of July to September. 

 

Evasvco has called for the filing of economic sabotage charges against rice hoarders and has asked the NFA to be more proactive in monitoring the warehouses managed by traders.