THE National Food Authority (NFA) Council on Wednesday approved the appointment of Piolito C. Santos as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the NFA following the suspension of 139 officials and employees over allegations that the agency’s rice stocks were sold improperly.
“Earlier there was an NFA Council meeting with the head of the NFA Council, and I was appointed as the OIC of the NFA effective today until President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. appoints a (new) administrator,” Mr. Santos told reporters in a briefing on Wednesday.
On Monday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. announced the six-month preventive suspension of officials and employees of the NFA. The suspended officials also included NFA Administrator Roderico R. Bioco.
Last week, the Department of Agriculture (DA) ordered a probe into allegations that NFA officials had authorized the disposal of rice at P25 per kilogram without proper bidding, after having bought unmilled rice, or palay, at P23 per kilo.
“Right now, the (Office of the) Ombudsman and the DA are currently investigating… we are awaiting the results,” he said.
Mr. Santos had served as the NFA’s assistant administrator for Finance and Administration.
The DA’s investigating committee is headed by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director Demosthenes R. Escoto, according to a Special Order signed by Mr. Laurel.
The suspended NFA officials and employees included 12 regional managers, 26 branch managers, and 99 warehouse supervisors.
Mr. Santos said that the NFA hopes to build a rice reserve of between 300,000 metric tons (MT) and 475,000 MT this year.
The NFA is authorized to purchase domestically grown rice and hold it in reserve to have supply available for distribution during shortages or calamities.
He said that the vacated positions of suspended personnel have been filled.
“We had a special order yesterday that all those (positions)… have been assigned OICs in each region, in each branch nationwide,” Mr. Santos added. — Adrian H. Halili
