Press Release
June 7, 2008

PGMA NEEDS EXPENDITURE PROGRAM, NOT EMERGENCY POWERS - CHIZ

President Arroyo needs an "expenditure program" not "emergency powers" to tackle food price spikes which have made "rice queuing" a national pastime, Sen. Chiz Escudero today said.

"Before the bright boys in the Palace tempt her with idea of using emergency powers, shouldn't they first find out if funds for agriculture have been disbursed and spent?" Escudero said.

"Money in the budget is the President's most weapon in her arsenal to combat high rice prices and low rice production, and spending it should be the first thing she must do," Escudero said.

Escudero said agriculture and agrarian reform have a combined budget of P31.5 billion this year: P2.3 for DAR; P3.2 for DA; P2.6 in budgetary support to DA-attached agencies; and P23.4 for AFMA (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act).

These do not include amounts under the president's power to disburse.

"Have these been released? Of the amounts released, how much have been spent? What is the absorptive rate of agencies? Or are agencies quick to ask for money but slow in spending it?" Escudero said.

Escudero belittled the possible effect of an emergency powers declaration on the country's food supply. "Farmers cannot be shocked-and-awed into producing more rice. That declaration is not the magic wand which if you'll wave rice will begin sprouting all over the land."

Escudero said the problems of agriculture cannot be solved by "legal order but with legal tender."

"Give the farmers irrigation, roads, fertilizer support, post harvest and they will do the rest, " he said.

Another thing to be considered, the senator said before the government toys with the idea of using "emergency powers" as the national slogan to fight rice price increase is the psychological effect of that phrase on consumers.

"We have this national allergy on the phrase "emergency powers.' Mention those and the people will start panicking. It doesn't have a calming effect of on the consumers. On the contrary, their first reaction is to head towards the nearest rice store. Use that word and we will be on the tipping point of disaster soon enough, " he said.

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