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PRESIDENT Arroyo may declare a rice and corn emergency
if the perceived shortage in the country’s rice supply
continues.
In an
interview, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez told
reporters that under Republic Act 3452, which provides
measures to stabilize the price of palay, rice and corn,
among others, the President is empowered to initiate
drastic measures to ensure consumers of continued rice
supply.
In
another development, the government may stop selling NFA
rice in public markets and limit its distribution to
poor communities to ensure that it reaches the intended
beneficiaries and discourage its commercial sale by
unscrupulous traders, President Arroyo announced on
Thursday.
The
President, who was in Pilar, Abra, to launch a local
agricultural project, said concerned agencies are
tweaking the plan as part of the government’s action
plan to ensure the stable supply of affordable rice in
the country.
“We are
toying with the idea of stopping the release of NFA rice
through the public markets. They will be released in the
depressed communities because the price differential of
the subsidy has become too big. The temptation to divert
has become too big as well,” she said.
“NFA
rice and commercial rice are almost of the same in
quality. So what happens is we have caught several, sad
to say, NFA officials conniving with traders and they
divert NFA rice, which is supposed to be for the poor
[and sell it as] commercial rice. You can’t tell the
difference because they are almost the same. It has to
be in the outlets that are different,” she said,
explaining the rationale for the planned limited
distribution of NFA rice.
According to Gonzalez, under Section 12 of RA 3452, the
President is authorized to declare a rice and corn
emergency any time she deems it necessary in the public
interest. Under such an emergency, the government can
control all stocks, whether private or public, and
distribute it as it sees fit.
The
provision says that during the emergency period, the
President can direct, subject to constitutional
limitation, the National Food Authority “to conduct
raids, seizures, and confiscation of rice and corn
hoarded in any private warehouse,” provided the agency
will pay such confiscated rice and corn at the
prevailing consumer’s price.
Gonzalez
said, however, there is no need right now for an
emergency declaration as supplies of rice are still
stable. Still, he added, the government will not wait
for the situation in India, Jamaica and in Haiti—where
riots have erupted—to happen in the country before it
declaring an emergency.
On
Thursday, Gonzalez met National Bureau of Investigation
(NBI) officials on how to enforce laws against
rice-hoarding.
Gonzalez
defines hoarding as having “50 percent more than your
currently needed supply.”
The DOJ
secretary earlier disclosed that President Arroyo has
given law-enforcement agencies the go-ahead to take over
warehouses of rice traders who insist on holding a rice
holiday.
Gonzalez
cited provisions in the 1987 Constitution that will
protect the general welfare from emergencies, including
“artificial” shortages.
“We can
cite Section 17, 18 and 19 of the general welfare
provision of the Constitution. If there is a situation
like an artificial shortage, the government can take
over,” he said.
While
they are reportedly similar in terms of quality,
commercial rice is almost twice the price of NFA rice,
which sells at P18.25 per kilo, tempting some traders,
in connivance with NFA officials, to sell the
government-subsidized rice as commercial rice. |
