Duterte To Stop Rice Smuggling
The incoming presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte said, according to his aide, that his administration will minimize or even stop rice smuggling in the Philippines.
According to a report in ABS-CBN, the to-be-assigned agriculture secretary of Duterte, former North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Pinol said that the administration will ban rice imports done the private sector in order to eliminate smuggling gradually.
“Ang direktiba ng president-elect,[the directive of the president-elect] there will be no more importation by the private sector, it will only be NFA (National Food Authority),” said Pinol in an interview with DZMM.
“We will stop rice smuggling. I can assure the Filipino people, rice smuggling can be stopped,” he added.
According to Pinol, he was directed by Duterte to “make sure there is available and affordable food for the Filipino and stop corruption in the Department of Agriculture.”
Pinol, who worked for Duterte’s campaign, said in the report that he recently turned down an offer from somebody who asked the former governor for a permit to import garlic and onions. But, he refused it saying, he cannot fail his president.
Recently, the 71-year-old incoming president Duterte also offered a position on his Cabinet the son of the former senator Manny Villar, Mark Villar, to be the new DPWH chief.
Duterte promised on his campaign to uplift the lives of farmers the moment he enters office on June 30.
He even assigned former agriculture secretary Carlos Dominguez as the finance secretary. Also, he appointed Jesus Dureza as peace adviser. Arthur Tugade was assigned as the transportation and communications secretary while former defense secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro will return from his past position.
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