(Eagle News) — Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco Jr. is “no longer part of” the National Food Authority Council.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement on Tuesday, April 17.
According to Roque, this was after President Rodrigo Duterte himself decided that the NFA would be “under the (Department of Agriculture) anew.”
Apart from the NFA, the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority are back under the DA, Roque said.
He added the Department of Social Welfare and Development also replaced the Development Bank of the Philippines in the NFA Council.
“I would like to thank the president for giving me the opportunity to chair the NFA Council and other members of the NFA Council for one year and a half..,” Evasco said in a statement read by Roque.
The reorganization takes place after an apparent rift between the NFA management led by Jason Aquino and Evasco, who led the NFA Council, over the manner in which to import rice.
Evasco also criticized Aquino for “creating an artificial shortage” when he said the NFA had “zero buffer stocks.”