MALOLOS CITY – The employees union of the National Food Authority (NFA) challenged President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to investigate its council, noting that some of its members are part of the over importation of rice in 2004 and are not part of the Cabinet.
The NFA Employees Association (NFAEA) also warned Budget Secretary Butch Abad that his home province of Batanes will be rice-less if privatization of the grains agency pushes through.
Roman Sanchez, chair of the NFAEA, told Punto that the Aquino administration is barking up the wrong tree when it blamed NFA for its losses in the past years.
He said that the President should investigate the NFA Council, a policy making body composed of financial experts and economic managers of the country.
“Malacañang should look into the NFA Council and its composition because they are the ones who made the policies,” said Sanchez, noting that NFA must not be punished by cutting its budget.
He said that one of the members of the NFA Council is Finance Secretary Cesar Purisma.
Sanchez said that Purisima is part of the NFA Council who made the decision in 2004 that resulted to over importation of rice.
Other members of the NFA Council include presidents of Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Philippine National Bank, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor.
“They are the ones who made the decisions, and those decisions made NFA what it is today,” Sanchez said.
He also noted that the council is the one who advised the grains authority to borrow money from state banks.
Sanchez also expressed concern over Philippine National Bank, a former state bank which is now partly owned by businessman Lucio Tan.
This developed after Hilario Tan, vice chair of the NFAEA, warned Secretary Abad that the future of his province is at stake if the privatization of NFA finally pushes through.
“Batanes is dependent on NFA rice because no commercial traders are distributing rice there,” he said.
Tan said that Batanes province is too far and commercial rice traders think that it’s not worth distributing rice there as they will face losses.
“I hope Secretary Abad has thought of that situation because only NFA is distributing rice there,” Tan said.
The NFA Employees Association (NFAEA) also warned Budget Secretary Butch Abad that his home province of Batanes will be rice-less if privatization of the grains agency pushes through.
Roman Sanchez, chair of the NFAEA, told Punto that the Aquino administration is barking up the wrong tree when it blamed NFA for its losses in the past years.
He said that the President should investigate the NFA Council, a policy making body composed of financial experts and economic managers of the country.
“Malacañang should look into the NFA Council and its composition because they are the ones who made the policies,” said Sanchez, noting that NFA must not be punished by cutting its budget.
He said that one of the members of the NFA Council is Finance Secretary Cesar Purisma.
Sanchez said that Purisima is part of the NFA Council who made the decision in 2004 that resulted to over importation of rice.
Other members of the NFA Council include presidents of Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Philippine National Bank, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor.
“They are the ones who made the decisions, and those decisions made NFA what it is today,” Sanchez said.
He also noted that the council is the one who advised the grains authority to borrow money from state banks.
Sanchez also expressed concern over Philippine National Bank, a former state bank which is now partly owned by businessman Lucio Tan.
This developed after Hilario Tan, vice chair of the NFAEA, warned Secretary Abad that the future of his province is at stake if the privatization of NFA finally pushes through.
“Batanes is dependent on NFA rice because no commercial traders are distributing rice there,” he said.
Tan said that Batanes province is too far and commercial rice traders think that it’s not worth distributing rice there as they will face losses.
“I hope Secretary Abad has thought of that situation because only NFA is distributing rice there,” Tan said.
