(Eagle News)–Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday, Sept. 25, said he would file a case against outgoing National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Jason Aquino for “mak(ing) a mess out of the rice market” if no one else does.
“He (Aquino) contributed to the problem of inflation. He should be held liable. If no one files, I will,” Roque said in a television interview.
For this, Roque cited a report from the Commission on Audit that said that the official did not use the NFA’s budget to buy rice from local farmers.
For Roque, this was tantamount to technical malversation.
“I’ll repeat it, the rice shortage, the rice problem, the high prices of rice, is self-inflicted damage by the NFA and the COA says so. So why shouldn’t we hold them liable?” he said.