BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – Ten rice retailers from Iloilo and Capiz are under investigation for alleged diversion of National Food Authority (NFA) rice.
NFA central office investigator Celerina Trumata is doing the probe, said Hedy Jardeleza, NFA Region 6 assistant regional director.
The investigation started Wednesday.
Jardeleza declined to identify the rice traders but said five were from Capiz.
The names of these retailers figured in the initial investigation on the alleged diversion of NFA rice at a warehouse in Leganes, Iloilo, said Jardeleza.
On July 31, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) claimed to have stumbled on an NFA rice diversion scheme at a private warehouse in Barangay Napnud, Leganes.
It claimed to have seized 1,047 sacks of NFA rice passed off as commercial rice using plain white sacks.
NFA rice sacks always bear the logo of the grains agency.
The 10 rice retailers under investigation allegedly withdrew their NFA rice share and stocked them at the Leganes warehouse.
“We have personal knowledge that under the rule of the NFA, once magkuha sang allocation halin sa bodega, dapat diretso mismo sa retailers. Nakita namon nga nagliko sia sa coastal road kag nagsulod sa warehouse,” an NBI agent said, referring to a truck supposedly containing NFA rice that they were following.
However, warehouse owner Dennis De Vicente through his daughter Charmaine claimed his warehouse workers were framed up.
The de Vicentes claimed there were only 23 sacks of NFA rice in their warehouse at the time of the NBI raid and that their 800 unlabeled sacks of rice were all genuine commercial rice.
They claimed, too, the raid had no search warrant and that NBI agents forced their warehouse men to do the repacking.
On Aug. 4, NFA relieved its Capiz and Iloilo provincial managers, Erna Abello and Marianito Bejemino, respectively./PN
