By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
Senator Risa N. Hontiveros-Baraquel on Monday revealed the tara system within the National Food Authority (NFA) involving the grains agency’s administrator Jason Laureano Y. Aquino and other private rice traders and importers.
In a privileged speech, Ms. Baraquel, citing her sources, said Mr. Aquino was allegedly being paid tara or grease money between P100 to P150 per bag of rice in exchange for the issuance of the certificate of eligibility or import permit. And with 20,000,000 imported bags of rice, the senator calculated the windfall to be around P2 billion.
“This is just the ‘entrance fee’ of the importer in order to be given the certificate of eligibility and import permit. Other fees for various modus operandi are not yet included. The service fees that the Jason Aquino administration imposes abruptly are not yet included ,” she said.
“We are looking at a multi-billion enterprise that has lined the pockets of a privileged few, and caused hunger to untold numbers of Filipinos,” she added.
Ms. Baraquel also named the “favored individuals” from NFA’s tara system to be Marlon Barillo, Marigold De Castro, Richie Carpio, Mercedes Yacapin, Rocky Valdez, and Judy Carol Dansal.
She said the alleged conspiracy between unscrupulous rice traders and insiders within the NFA has resulted to the present rice crisis in the country.
Ms. Baraquel said the NFA’s buffer stock was also deliberately depleted to jack up rice prices for private traders. She added that the imported rice via the government to government (G2G) scheme was deliberately set aside at the pier to allow private traders to position themselves so they could sell rice at a higher price.
Another strategy, the senator pointed out, was by consolidating the hold of rice cartels over stocks of imported rice through the use of front cooperatives and farmers association.

“In both these pathways, corruption is endemic,” she said.
Ms. Baraquel maintained that Mr. Aquino, along with the private rice traders and importers, should be held liable for economic sabotage over the different illegal activities during rice importation.
“We can talk about rice tarrification and other important policy measures. But without addressing rice tara-ffication, our policies remain inutile, she said.
The senator’s privileged speech was referred to the Senate committees on accountability of public officers and investigations (Blue Ribbon) as well as agriculture and food, chaired by Senators Richard J. Gordon and Cynthia A. Villar, respectively, for further investigation.

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