Fire NFA chief, put Dominguez, Lopez, Pernia in charge - Pangilinan

Inspecting rice warehouses and raiding them will not be enough to bring down rice prices. The rice supply situation is a result of incompetence and corruption in the NFA that at this point cannot be solved by raiding warehouses. The solution is more than just going after traders when the NFA itself through corruption and incompetence caused the problem in the first place.

We do not see how high prices can be addressed by the end of the year. Until new imports come in and harvest season in October provides respite and the rice both local and imported are effectively distributed to stem the tide of unending rice price increases, these raids unfortunately will just be for show.

The problem is the NFA leadership. Having the corrupt and the inept take charge of raiding these warehouses will only mean more corruption and incompetence.

The President has been misinformed and misled by the NFA. He should have listened to Cabsec Evasco, who was trying to solve the problem. Instead he chose to side with the NFA chief, who created the problem. By doing so, the problem worsened and so we are where we are today.

Fire the NFA chief and convene to take over and solve the problem the NFA Council that includes Secretary Sonny Dominguez, who as former secretary of agriculture understands the problem, DTI Secretary Mon Lopez, and NEDA chief Pernia, who are all NFA Council members.