By Danny Estacio
LUCENA CITY, Quezon- House Minority Floor Leader Danilo E. Suarez said that he is prepared to stand in the plenary arguing on the issue of rice importation of the National Food Authority (NFA's) plan.
Minority Leader Cong. Danilo Suarez (Kj Rosales/Manila Bulletin)
Suarez said that every time the NFA procure imported rice, they are more favoring the other countries’ rice farmers than our own rice farmers.
“Kapag nag-import ka payayamanin mo lang ‘yung farmers ng Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia.” Suarez added.
“If the NFA will expending money in importation, why not to prioritize the Filipino farmers, even it was a little bit high to subsidies, importantly, the money will not come out from us”, he added.
The Quezon 3rd district solon said that he already informed President Rodrigo R. that he will oppose the plan of the NFA on rice importation.
“I told to the president that I’m going to stand against the issue on the rice importation”, he added.
Suarez made his reaction based on the statement of NFA administrator Jason Aquino that the fastest method in resolving the problem in the absence of buffer stock is rice importation.
Meanwhile, Suarez announced that the proposed bill on rice tarification has been approved in the third and final reading in the House of Representative.