(Eagle News) — Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he is considering filing malversation and graft charges against former National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Jason Aquino, citing his failure to use the P5.1 billion subsidy in buying rice from local farmers to boost the NFA’s rice buffer stock.
“Kung walang magpa-file, ako mismo ang magpa-file. At hindi lang for technical malversation, fa-file-lan ko rin siya ng graft (If no one will file, I myself will file. And not only for technical malversation, I will file graft charges),” Roque told reporters.
Roque said Aquino’s actions were questionable and caused injury to the public.
He also cited the Commission on Audit’s red flag notice to NFA for using the P5.1 billion to pay maturing loands instead of securing rice stocks from farmers.
The actions of NFA’s Aquino resulted in the NFA’s rice stock shortage and eventually in the rice price increase that happened in the markets.
“(To) cause injury to the public and to the government is also graft,” Roque said.
“To set the record straight, mas marami pa po akong isasampa (I have more to file),” he said.
While Aquino has not been charged with graft, Roque said that the former NFA head may soon be answering several graft cases.
He said that he will “look into it soon”.
“And not only that, I also know that some importers are already preparing to sue him,” he said.
The Palace spokesperson said that what the NFA’s former administrator preference for a government to government scheme in buying or importing rice was the “worst” way as it was “prone to graft and corruption” and “favoritism.”
“Iyong ating proseso ngayon na may monopoliya, prone po talaga iyan to graft and corruption. (This process, which has monopoly, is really prone to graft and corruption),” Roque said.
“Maski sabihin mo na may mga accredited importers, siyempre may favoritism pa rin diyan. At iyong G-to-G, that’s the worst kasi walang may alam kung anong prosesong nangyayari sa G-to-G; sila-sila lang. (Even if you are saying that there are accredited importers, of course there is favoritism and this G-to-G, that’s the worst because nobody knows what’s happening in the process. It’s only them),” he added.
Aquino’s resignation, he said, has been accepted by President Rodrigo Duterte.
“The President has reiterated on numerous occasions that his administration will not tolerate even a whiff of corruption,” Roque said.
Duterte has recently placed NFA the along with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA) under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The President earlier said he will appoint Philippine Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Rolando Bautista, to replace Aquino as NFA administrator after his retirement from military service on October 15. (with a PNA report)