(Eagle News) — Resign.
Senator Bam Aquino reiterated this to National Food Authority administrator Jason Aquino and other NFA officials, following the alleged rice crisis in Zamboanga that led to an increase in the prices of the staple food.
“Mahiya naman sila (NFA) sa taumbayan at mag-resign na. Dahil sa kanilang kapalpakan, nalulunod ang mga pamilyang Pilipino sa taas ng presyo ng bigas,” the senator said in a statement on Thursday, Aug. 23.
Aquino asked the NFA where its imported stocks of rice were “para mapababa ang presyo ng bigas sa mga palengke.”
“Sino na ba ang nagmamando sa bansa? Itong malaking krisis sa bigas, hindi man lang masolusyunan. Nag-import sila para maresolba ang problema pero mukhang lumala pa ngayon ang sitwasyon at nauwi sa rice crisis sa Zamboanga City,” he said.
The Zamboanga City council has said it was forced to declare a state of calamity there following a rice shortage that has resulted in an increase in rice prices.
Reports said that prices of the staple food had reached up to P70 per kilogram, but the NFA dismissed this as exaggerated.