A top official of the National Food Authority who snubbed the Capitol’s request to resume selling rice to the Capitol is on a 6-month preventive suspension following allegations of selling the country’s rice buffer stocks to private rice traders without proper bidding.
On Saturday, March 2, while attending the Caravan of Services in Dumajug town, Gov. Gwen Garcia made a public appeal to NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco to reconsider his order to stop selling rice to Capitol.
“NFA Administrator Bioco, kung ang Province of Cebu maoy mopalit, bayran ni namo, dili utangon,” Gov. Garcia said in her speech.
“Paliton namog baynte singko, magpaalkansi mig singko alang sa atong Sugbo Baratong Merkado aron ang mga kabos makapalit og tag baynte pesos per kilo kay dili mi rice traders,” she added.
Interestingly, the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday, March 4, issued the preventive suspension of Bioco and 138 more officials and employees of the agency for the alleged anomalous transaction.
In a joint meeting with the Provincial Development Council, Provincial Peace and Order Council, Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Gov. Garcia reiterated her call for the NFA to resume selling rice to the Capitol.
She said the affordable NFA rice can help more Cebuanos especially those who cannot afford the rising cost of commercial rice.
Gov. Garcia said because of Bioco’s memorandum issued on January 24, 2024, directing all NFA regional managers to hold off requests for rice issuances, sale of ageing rice stocks, and the transfer of rice to rice-deficit regions without his prior approval and authorization, its regional head, Fe Evasco refused to sell rice to the Capitol.
The order practically crippled Capitol’s pro-poor initiatives such as the Sugbo Baratong Merkado, Sugbo School feeding, and the Bugasan sa Kababayen-an.
It was for the same reason that the governor wrote a letter to Bioco.
However, she said, Bioco did not even give her the courtesy of a proper response to her earnest request on behalf of the Cebuanos.
“Kon baligyaan mi ninyo niining maong bugas, NFA Administrator Bioco, ang among mga bata nga nag-eskwela gikan sa Kindergarten ngadto sa K-12, makakaon at least kausa sa usa ka adlaw samtang naa sila sa eskuylahan, Lunes ngadto sa Biernes sa tanan nga mga adlaw nga dunay klase,” the governor added.
The palay grains (unmilled rice) were bought by the NFA from local farmers at P23 per kilo only to be sold allegedly to private rice traders at P25 per kilo. Moreover, the rice traders were allegedly pre-selected by NFA officials as no other bidders or buyers were allowed to take part in the bidding to buy the NFA stocks.
The suspension would allow the Ombudsman to secure all documents and other evidence relating to the sale of rice buffer stocks which Laurel branded as “greatly disadvantageous to government.”
“Ayaw intawn ibaligya ngadto sa mga rice traders nga moginansya, ibaligyag tag singkwenta, gipalit og baynte singko,” Gov. Garcia said in her speech.
“Rice traders namalit, inag adtos merkado tag singkwenta na, saysenta. Kinsay magbahin lage sa ganansiya?” she asked. | with reports from Sugbo News