Cynthia Villar threatens DA execs with raps over memo creating new body for RCEF use

Senator Cynthia Villar on Thursday threatened to file charges against Agriculture officials if they will not suspend the implementation of a memorandum that is against the spirit of the Rice Tariffication Law.

At a Senate hearing, Villar mentioned Memorandum No. 34 creating an advisory council for the implementation of farm mechanization program which was supposed to be done by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech).

The memorandum was issued during the time of former Agriculture secretary William Dar.

The Rice Tariffication Law created a P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), P5 billion of which would be allotted to farm mechanization, P3 billion to seedlings, and P1 billion to expanded rice credit assistance.

"Don't implement this memo. You have two memos that you implemented through Secretary Dar. The Memo 34 which created an advisory council to implement the mechanization program of the RCEF, that is against the law. I will tell you I will file a case against you if you don't stop this advisory committee," Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform, said.

The lawmaker recalled the Senate's deliberations on then-Rice Tariffication Bill where several senators agreed that the funds for the mechanization program should be utilized and implemented by PhilMech and not the DA  to ensure faster execution of the program.

"The senators stood up. Kapag binigay sa DA, di mai-implement 'yan. So that is the spirit of the law," she said.

She also noted that during the time of then-PhilMech director Baldwin Jallorina, they were able to disburse around 80% of the funds for mechanization but now it is down to 43%

Dionisio Alvindia, the current PhilMech director, responded to Villar, saying the memo has not been implemented and he already asked the DA to relieve him as concurrent director of the Philippine Integrated Rice Program to concentrate on his duties as PhilMech head.

Alvindia said he had "inherited a lot of problems" when he took over the position in PhilMech last March 3, specifically with the payment to their suppliers.

But Villar told Alvindia that he is the problem as the past PhilMech leadership was able to implement 82% of the mechanization program.

"There are no problems. They can implement at 82%. Anong problem? Ikaw ang problema," Villar said.

"Hijo, i-suspend mo itong komi-kumite na ito ha. Otherwise, idedemanda ko kayo... Ako magdedemanda sa inyo. I will spend for the lawyer's fee para idemanda kayo. People of the Philippines against you," she added.

Senator Imee Marcos also brought up that from January 1 to June 30, 2022, PhilMech only disbursed 159 million out of P7.6 billion and they only had an obligation rate of 5.8%.

"What is the reason for the glaring non-performance in the past six months? Di naman kayo ganito dati, nakakapag-deliver naman kayo dati," Marcos said.

Alvindia assured the committee that they will obligate all the P5 billion RCEF allocation for the mechanization program by the end of 2022.

"Actually ngayon pong taong ito P3.2 billion disbursed by the end of December. We would like to tell this committee we can obligate all P5 billion that is alloted for 2022," he said.

But Villar is still unconvinced.

"Commit nang commit kayo ayaw ninyo naman mag-resign pag 'di ninyo nagawa," she said.

At this point, Alvindia said he will resign if the funds are not disbursed by the end of 2022.

"I'm committing my resignation by the end of this year if the funds will not be disbursed," he said.—AOL, GMA News