By Chito Chavez
Incensed police officers have insisted they be given a free hand to purchase rice from the grain retail outlets of their choice with their monthly rice allowances instead of being compelled to buy from accredited government-run warehouses.
Dead-tired cops who rendered duty at last Thursday’s “Traslacion” 2020 said forcing them to buy rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses in Paco, Manila is unfair, unimaginable, extremely unreasonable, and a violation of their freedom of choice.
“Ano ba ‘yan (What’s with that)? This is unfair. Bakit obligado kami bumili ng bigas sa lintik na NFA warehouse na ‘yan (Why are we being forced to purchased rice from the damned NFA warehouse)? It is our right to buy rice from any outlet we choose. Like any other ordinary citizen, we also have consumer rights,” a Quezon City police officer said.
The cops, who requested anonymity, complained that they are required to present receipts to prove that they purchased NFA rice from the warehouses.
One policeman even asked if top Philippine National Police (PNP) officials are purchasing NFA rice for their family’s consumption. “Common sense dictates that PNP top brass do not, let me repeat, do not buy NFA rice to feed their families,” the fuming cop said.
What is worse, according to them, is that they have to explain why they failed to comply with the supposedly “mandatory” NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office) order.
Aside from the inconvenience of purchasing rice at the NFA warehouses in Paco, the cops claimed “hindi mo halos malunok ang NFA rice (you can barely swallow NFA rice).”
The police officers claimed that the directive is supposedly mandated under Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Executive Order No. 51-1998.
DILG EO No. 51-1998 directs all departments, bureaus, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities of the national government, including government-owned and -controlled corporations, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine National Police (PNP), that either provide rice to their employees as a form of incentive or non-monetary benefit or use rice in connection with their functions, to purchase their rice requirements from the national food authority (NFA).
“If our grievances will not be acted upon by the PNP, then we beg the President to intercede for us. We support his administration to punish cops but we believe honest police officers should be treated fairly,” the cops said.
Since DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya is not privy to the issue, the Manila Bulletin is still awaiting the reaction of PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac.