Magsasaka Partylist Rep. Argel Cabatbat urged Malacañang to listen to the appeal of the country’s agricultural sector and terminate immediately the much-criticized Executive Order No. 135.
Cabatbat issued the appeal even as he asked his colleagues in the House of Representatives to adopt immediately proposed House Resolution 1783 supporting the bid for revocation of EO 135 that lowered tariff on imported rice.
Cabatbat noted that several senators have also joined the call for the cancellation of the order issued by President Duterte.
"Kahit ang Senate ay may Resolution 726 na inihain nila Senators Kiko Pangilinan at Risa Hontiveros para i-withdraw ang EO 135. In fact, kasama ko rin po sila sa Farmers-Fishers Congress at magkapareho ang pagtingin sa di magandang magiging epekto ng EO 135. (Even in the Senate they have Resolution 726 filed by Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros for the withdrawal of EO 135. In fact, we were together during the Farmers-Fishers Congress and we shared the same view about what could be the bad effects of EO 135),” he said.
The opposition lawmaker noted that imported rice have flooded the local market but it failed to substantially affect the prices that would benefit consumers. Instead, it adversely affected the rice farmers who continue to suffer from the effects of the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL).
Government’s decision to put EO 135 in effect has further placed the farmers in a more disadvantageous position.
“With the high cost of farm inputs, our local farmers just can’t compete against the imports,” he stated.
“The imposition of a lower import tariff rate under EO 135 will only further aggravate the situation of rice farmers and worsen the current state of the rice industry that has already been assaulted by the wicatastrophic effects of RTL, while the Rice Comprehensive Enhancement Program (RCEP) provision in the law is yet to be fully carried out,” Cabatbat lamented.
On May 15, President Rodrigo Duterte signed EO135 lowering the tariff rates for rice imported by Most Favored Nations. Under the presidential directive imported rice tariff was reduced from 40% to 35 %, said Cabatbat.