Erwin Tulfo shoots down NFA abolition talks, suggests revamp instead
At A Glance
- House Deputy Majority Leader for Communications Rep. Erwin Tulfo has proposed a "restructure" of the National Food Authority (NFA), instead of an abolition.
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (PPAB)
House Deputy Majority Leader for Communications Rep. Erwin Tulfo has proposed a "restructure" of the National Food Authority (NFA), instead of an abolition.
“Hindi naman buwagin, but rather restructure. As a matter of fact, based on my observation, andami nating agencies na kailangang i-restructure dahil iba wala nang silbi,” Tulfo said in a press briefing on Tuesday, March 5.
(Not to abolish, but rather restructure. As a matter of fact, based on my observation, we have many agencies that need to be restructured because others are useless.)
Talks of an outright dismantling of the NFA were renewed after the agency’s “highly suspicious” P93.75-million sale of 75,000 bags of rice stock to two traders.
On Monday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) implemented the preventive suspension order from the Office of the Ombudsman against NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco and 138 other NFA officials and employees.
Tulfo, who represents the ACT-CIS Party-list, stressed the need for these officials to be held accountable.
Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, who also took part in the press briefing, noted that the suspension of the officials was a “highly commendable” action by the Marcos administration.
“This is a strong testament to our President’s commitment to eradicating corruption and demanding accountability from public officials in the government,” she said.
For Suansing, there needs to be “an extensive evaluation of whether or not the NFA is currently performing their mandate, and whether the scope of work and responsibilities is still appropriate for the times”.
With the upcoming House panel probe on the issue, Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon underscored the urgency in putting an end to the seemingly widespread corruption in the NFA.
“Wala naman pong problema sa ahensiya, ang problema po yung mga public officials na nakaupo sa nasabing ahensiya,” he said.
(There is no problem with the agency, the problem is the public officials sitting in the said agency.)