NFA suspends accreditation of 19 Tindahan Natin operators
National Food Authority (NFA) has suspended the accreditation of 19 Tindahan Natin operators in northern Iloilo preventing them from withdrawing government rice in any of the NFA warehouses.
NFA Provincial Manager Heddy Jardeleza said the suspension of the accreditations granted to 19 Tindahan Natin operators is the initial measure taken by the agency pending the outcome of the probe on the alleged repacking of NFA rice recently. The agency will impose a perpetual termination of their accreditations if the evidence warrants against them.
Jardeleza said the 19 operators came from the towns of Balasan, Carles, Estancia, Lemery, Sara, San Dionisio and Ajuy. She said the investigation is still ongoing as they (operators) are given the opportunity to defend themselves by submitting their sworn statement regarding the August 29 apprehension.
Based on the report, the 19 operators loaded some 500 bags of NFA rice on a truck owned by Manuel Agutaya of Sara when accosted by the members of the Ajuy municipal police station. The NFA rice were repacked as commercial rice and believed to have been distributed in different towns in northern Iloilo.
She said the affidavits of the 19 operators would be carefully assessed before the termination of their accreditations. The investigation team is headed by investigator Larry Perez and representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). DSWD is the recommending agency on who are qualified to become a Tindahan Natin operator.
Tindahan Natin are NFA outlets operated by local government units in remote and far-flung villages that sell low-cost government rice, sardines and noodles. The establishment of Tindahan Natin outlets is one of the poverty alleviation programs of the Arroyo administration.
Jardeleza suspects the 19 operators have already distributed mixed rice when apprehended by the police. The truck has the load capacity of 500 bags. When they were apprehended, only 189 bags were left in the truck and about to be disposed in the town of Ajuy.
The acts of the operators constitute violations in operating a Tindahan Natin outlet. They repacked the government rice because of profit. Mixing government rice with commercial rice will demand a much higher price. They gain hundreds of pesos in every bag of mixed rice, said Jardeleza.