NFA gets new OIC amid suspensions

MANILA, Philippines — The National Food Authority Council yesterday appointed former Bureau of Plant Industry director Larry Lacson as officer-in-charge of the NFA after a special meeting presided over by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

“The NFA Council has unanimously appointed director Larry Lacson as OIC-administrator to make sure the operations of the agency run smoothly, especially during this harvest season. The NFA is an integral part of our effort to ensure the country’s food security,” Laurel said.

Laurel previously appointed Piolito Santos as NFA officer-in-charge, but Santos was slapped with a six-month preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman along with NFA administrator Roderico Bioco and assistant administrator for operations John Robert Hermano.

The anti-graft office has lifted the suspension of 24 officials, prompting the Department of Agriculture to hope that more NFA officers would soon be able to return to work once the ombudsman clears more names.

At a press conference, Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel de Mesa said the lifting of suspension would ensure normal operations at the NFA.

“It is better if those who are innocent can return to their work,” De Mesa said. “If there are more employees covered by the lifting of suspension order, it will be a welcome development.”

He said that aside from 23 warehouse supervisors, the six-month preventive suspension against Harold Cuartero, acting Batangas NFA branch manager, was also lifted.

Laurel said the list of suspended NFA officials and employees was forwarded to the ombudsman without verification.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires said erroneous data was found in the list provided by the DA.

Early this month, the ombudsman ordered the suspension of Bioco, Hermano, Santos and 138 officials and employees of the agency – including 12 regional managers, 26 branch managers and 99 warehouse supervisors.

After some of the orders were lifted, only 117 NFA officers remain under preventive suspension. They are facing administrative charges of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The charges stemmed from the alleged illegal sale of 75,000 bags of NFA rice, which was part of the government’s buffer stocks, to private traders G4 Rice Mill San Miguel Corp. and NBK San Pedro Rice Mill for a total of P93.75 million without approval of the NFA Council.

Under the 2019 Rice Tariffication Law, the government is mandated to purchase from local farmers around 300,000 metric tons of rice to have a year-round national buffer stock for distribution in times of calamities and emergency situations.

Meanwhile, a number of NFA employees yesterday asked Sen. Cynthia Villar to include Roger Navarro, Department of Agriculture (DA) undersecretary for operations, in the Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigation on the sale of NFA rice to traders.

In a letter to the lawmaker, they claimed that Navarro was the special assistant to suspended NFA administrator Bioco prior to his appointment to the DA in December 2023.