NFA employees rally vs. 'anti-farmer' Rice Tariffication bill

Some 50 employees of the National Food Authority (NFA), along with other groups, gathered in front of the Senate on Monday for a protest rally against Senate Bill 1998 or the Rice Tariffication bill.

In Divine Reyes's report on Balitanghali, protesters tagged the proposed bill as "anti-farmer" and "anti-employee."

Among the provisions of the bill that they opposed and pointed out in their open letter to senators include:

• Stripping NFA of its authority to implement rules and regulations on rice importation and on the issuance of import license or permit to the private sector.
• Abolishing NFA's regulatory function.
• Removing NFA's mandate to initially certify shortage in the rice supply before allowing any importation.
• Setting the rice fund at P10 billion every year.

The agency employees held the protest rally on the same day senators were scheduled to discuss the Rice Tariffication Bill in the plenary.

President Rodrigo Duterte previously vowed to implement rice tariffication in an aim to stop corruption and weaken rice cartels in the country.

"I am decided na tariffication. Walang limit well of course, you have to auction. Kung sino 'yung who can bid the highest, doon natin ibigay sa kanila... wala ng istorya istorya. Kung sinong may pera, mag-import ka sige. That could really stop corruption, 'yung quota quota," Duterte said in September.

The House of Representatives approved its version of the bill or the proposed "Revised Agricultural Tariffication Act" in August. —Dona Magsino/KBK, GMA News