SEN. Imee Marcos expressed reservation over the proposal to expand the powers the National Food Authority (NFA) to include direct importation and retailing of rice.

Marcos added that allegations of corruption hounded the NFA through the years, and granting it more powers could only lead to over-importation, overpricing, smuggling, missing bargeloads of rice, kickbacks, favoritism, and other graft practices.

Marcos said that in March, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered a six-month preventive suspension of 139 NFA officials, including NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco, due to alleged disadvantageous sale of rice buffer stocks.

In a matter of days, the senator added, Bioco's temporary replacement, Piolito Santos, and acting department manager for operations, Jonathan Yazon, were also suspended, due to alleged anomalous practices.

"The nonsense in the NFA never stopped. I admit I have a sentimental attachment to the NFA because it was established and formed by my father. During that time, it seemed to work with Kadiwa, with FTI (Food Terminal Inc.), a whole buying and distribution system. They couldn't buy anything, even the stocking, the buffer supply of the Philippines," Marcos said.

Marcos added that the better way to deal with the current rice emergency is to implement government-to-government importation sans the NFA and the formation of a presidential commission on rice sufficiency, extending by six years, or up to 2031.

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