Mitra clarifies report on rice importation

Opposition Rep. Abraham Mitra (LDP, Palawan) clarified yesterday a report attributed to him on rice importation and smuggling.

Mitra said he wanted to find out the reasons why the government has allowed the bringing in of a total of 890,000 tons of imported rice when the original level was only 500,000 tons.

He said no less than President Arroyo and Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor assured Filipino farmers in March this year that the importation would only be 390,000 tons.

"What went wrong?" Mitra was quoted as asking in the report that was based on a statement he issued and on previous interviews with him.

He said the sudden rise in importation does not jibe with the government’s claim that farm output grew significantly during the first quarter of this year.

He denied linking imports to possible election-related fund-raising by the ruling party. — Jess Diaz