By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte said on Tuesday he is looking for a new administrator to replace Jason Laureano Y. Aquino of the National Food Authority (NFA), as per the latter’s request to be relieved from his post.
He added he “may recommend to Congress the abolition of the NFA Council.”
In his televised “tete-a-tete” on Tuesday afternoon with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. B. Panelo, Mr. Duterte also said his office will pick the Philippines’ third telecommunications player if the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has no decision yet on that matter by November.
“Maybe late [or] early November ‘pag wala pa (if there is no decision yet) , I’ll take over. Ilagay ko ‘yan sa (I will put that under the) Office of the President, and I will invite all dito negosyante (the businessmen). I will decide in front of them,” Mr. Duterte said.
The President added that by “Christmas,” the government should be able to announce the country’s third telco player.
Regarding Mr. Aquino, the President said the official told him that “he is tired and he cannot cope up with the workings inside” the agency.
“I will scout for a new one (administrator),” Mr. Duterte said, in response to the persistent issue of short rice supply around the country.
Mr. Duterte said the NFA Council “hinders the operation” of NFA.
Last April, Mr. Duterte ordered the transfer of the NFA, which was formerly under the supervision of the NFA Council, to the Department of Agriculture (DA) headed by Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol. Before the President’s order, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco, Jr. was the chairperson of the Council which has approval powers to import rice into the country.
Also in the same interview, Mr. Duterte said he is exploring buying low-cost rice from Sabah, Malaysia.
He added: “If worse comes to worst, I will open [the ports for] Sabah. Free-for-all, busog lahat.”
On the higher prices of goods, he said: “I am not denying….It has not lowered any notch… Economic managers are working on it.”
In almost all the questions asked by Mr. Panelo, Mr. Duterte inserted comments pertaining to embattled opposition Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV and the amnesty granted to him in 2011 that Mr. Duterte revoked in a proclamation.
Sought for comment, University of Santo Tomas (UST) political science professor Marlon M. Villarin said: “The President’s goal was to emphasize the important things. Number one, he made this gesture that he will respect what the decision of the Supreme Court will be [on Mr. Trillanes’ amnesty]. Number two, he made an impression that his administration is in control of the situation. And number three, what he did was to really clarify what he really wanted to do on these issues. It’s like sharing the side of the government against those issues sensationalized by the mainstream media.”
PRESS CONFERENCE CANCELLED
Prior to Mr. Panelo’s televised interview with Mr. Duterte, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) announced that the scheduled press conference of the President at the Malacañang Palace, which was supposed to be attended by both local and foreign reporters, was “no longer included” in the President’s activities for Tuesday.
In a short press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque , Jr. said “no cancellation happened.”
“What was scheduled will push through, but under a modified format,” he added.
In a mobile message to reporters, the PCOO said that instead of a press conference, the President was going to have a televised “tete-a-tete” with Mr. Panelo.

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