Lawmaker seeks transfer of seized smuggled rice to NFA
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Abra Rep. Joseph Sto. Niño Bernos yesterday urged the government to automatically turn over the seized 27,000 sacks of Vietnam rice to the National Food Authority (NFA) instead of selling these to the agency.
The sacks of rice worth P67.9 million were seized by the Philippine Navy from a foreign vessel intercepted off Zamboanga Sibugay last Sunday.
“While I agree that the seized rice should be given to the NFA, the agency should acquire it at no cost at all,” Bernos said. “In the first place, the smugglers were caught in an unlucky situation where their illicit goods were intercepted by our capable law enforcers.”
Bernos said instead of having the NFA buy the smuggled rice, the NFA should instead use the public funds to import more rice to increase its stock.
“This is why we filed House Bill 7348, which aims to automatically turn over seized smuggled rice in favor of the National Food Authority,” Bernos said.
“This will ensure that the agency will have a comfortable stock for its usage, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development will have a supply to distribute in times of calamities,” he added.
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