Duterte-era rice price manipulation remains unresolved – lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines — The “biggest agricultural price manipulation case” involving alleged rice importation anomalies during the Duterte administration that cost Filipino consumers billions has remained unresolved, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said yesterday.

Speaking at the super committee’s inaugural hearing on Tuesday, Salceda stressed the need for accountability, citing failures that let cartels exploit the country’s food supply.

“The biggest case of price manipulation in the agricultural sector remains to be the cornering of import permits in 2016-2018,” said Salceda, chair of the newly formed Murang Pagkain super committee, composed of the committees on ways and means, trade and industry, agriculture and food, social services and the special committee on food security.

The super committee’s probe will focus on creating policies to stabilize food prices, curb smuggling and uplift the agricultural sector.

Salceda noted how private sector control over rice importation and the manipulation of import permits during the period led to a significant spike in rice prices in 2018, with consumers paying up to P8 more per kilo.

He estimated the total economic loss at P88.6 billion, noting that the issue only eased after the Rice Tariffication Law abolished in 2019 the permit system administered by the National Food Authority (NFA).

Salceda said it remains to be known who in the private sector were granted rice importation permits by the NFA during the two-year period.

He also inquired about the status of the alleged P2-billion bribery issue within the NFA in 2018, where certain officials were identified in previous Senate hearings as being involved in the cornering of import permits.

The officials named include Marlon Barillo, Marigold De Castro, Richie Carpio, Mercedes Yacapin, Rocky Valdez and Judy Carol Dansal, who was later appointed NFA administrator by then-president Rodrigo Duterte.

Salceda said that cartels also took advantage of the NFA’s diversion of palay procurement funds from supporting farmers to paying off loans.

Salceda requested the committee secretariat to send letters to the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman to determine whether any cases have been filed against government officials implicated in the Duterte-era rice price manipulation scandal.