Photo Release

Go: Probe farmers’ cooperative for alleged illegal importation of rice: Sen. Bong Go, during the virtual hearing of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform Thursday, October 22, 2020, asks the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Plant Industry to look into the alleged illegal importation of rice, several containers of which slipped through the BOC ports, by a farmers’ cooperative in Tarlac. Officials of both agencies told Go it was the first time they heard of the report and promised that they will coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate the matter. Go also manifested his support for the overhauling of the country’s rice importation system to prevent unscrupulous traders from using cooperatives as their dummies. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)