Press Release
July 13, 2015

Transcript of press conference with Sen. Cynthia Villar (Hearing on alleged fake rice)

Q: Yung nakitang rice genuine rice naman?

Villar: Yung raw. Yung contaminated yung niluto. Kapag raw, okay naman sa kanila. Kaya they have to really go through the process of tracing yung retailer.

Q: May possibility kaya na wala talagang fake rice, nagkaproblemalang sa handling?

Villar: Sabi ng laboratory test ng NFA, hindi daw makukuha sa handling yung DBP (dibutyl phthalate). So nira-write off nila yung food handling sa nakitang kemikal. Kaya that is our problem, that's why we cannot write it off. We have to be careful.

Q: Yung nakitang rice kay Noel Calencia walang contaminants?

Villar: Yung nakita sa kanyang rice na raw na binebenta ngayon, wala. Pero definitely yung naluto na tinest nila meron.

Q: Paano nila na-confirm na kay Noel galing?

Villar: Ininterview si Hannah. Mali iyong sinasabi na galing sa Brieta. It's really Noel Calencia. Nagsabi na siya ng totoo kasi PNP na ang nagpunta. At nakuha rin ang name ng restaurant.

Q: On importation of rice.

Villar: It's a policy. Kasi meron tayong treaty with other governments that we have to import. Parang sinasabi doon, kasi ang mga foreign gusto nila liberalization that private sector and government can do business freely. Pero sa ating bayan na palaging may problema sa smuggling, that was our solution before para ma-prevent na yung smuggling. Yung mga ganyan, sometimes you don't put it into writing but if that is the solution, you should do it. Kasi parang recurring ang problem. As we see, we proved again that there was smuggling in 2014 and in 2015. So hindi natin nai-stop. How do you stop it? That should be a policy decision na hindi naman natin kailangan pang sabihin sa foreign na we are doing this. But it's an internal policy decision because sa kanila naman walang smuggling, sa atin may smuggling.

Q: So it's up to NFA...

Villar: Yes, I am telling them it's up to you to influence the policy makers that this is the only solution. Kitang-kita naman, every year consistent 600,000 ang ini-smuggle. Nasisira ang projection nila kasi ang paggawa ng projection, it's the production of rice in the Philippines plus importation equals the demand and the buffer stock. Nasisira ang projection kasi may 600,000 na pumapasok na hindi kasama sa projection. Nakita mo ngayon nagko-complain ang private sector, ang dami nilang stocks sa bodega and yet nagi-import tayo. So there is something wrong somewhere.

Q: Since patuloy pa rin ang smuggling ng rice, do you see lapses on the parts of BOC?

Villar: Sinasabi ko nga for example sa Zamboanga, ini-smuggle nila sa boat, yung boat nasa Sulu Sea tapos dinadala dahan-dahan sa port through motor boat. And there are 90 ports in Zamboanga. Maski naman anong galing bg BOC mo, paano mo babantayan yung 90 ports na yun? Napakahirap kasi ang bansa natin is an island, there are many ports. Sometimes it's really impossible. So you have to simplify. Kaya nga pinasi-simplify na NFA na lang ang mag-import para lahat ng makitang bigas na other than NFA importation, seized na yun kasi smuggled na yun. Wala nang tanungan yun, Yun ang gusto ng BOC noon. Kasi ngayon, kapag may nakita kang bigas because they gave import permits to private, tatanungin mo pa, mag-iimbestiga ka pa. Kung walang import permit sa private, NFA ba yan? Kapag hindi NFA, seized na lahat iyan. Mas madali ang enforcement.

Q: Were you able to get a commitment sa NFA

Villar: Nag-agree kami ng DA, NFA at ng BOC na government to government ang policy... ngayon iba ang tao, iba ang policy. I was telling them. I have no power to determine their policy. I am just the oversight committee; I was telling them the defect of their policies. It's for them to change it. I am not a member of their committee who decides on the importation of rice... Sabi nila tulungan ko daw sila, isasama daw nila ako sa committee para kumbinsihin ang committee. I don't know. Ako naman, I just want to inform the public about what's happening and it's for the public to pressure. That's why I brought the private sector to pressure them to make these kinds of policies so we will not have problems.

Q: On traceability of fake rice

Villar: Yung traceability sa NFA iyon. They have to trace where this rice came from para makita natin yung source para ma-prevent natin. Yung food safety, I am asking them. There is a food safety law which was passed in 2013. Ang sabi doon sa law, in 90 days dapat tapos ang IRR. So kung August 2013 iyon, by December 2013 dapat tapos na ang IRR. That should be being implemented today. Sinasabi nila they will meet for the first time next week yata. Ang sabi ko, sobrang tagal na nun. Kung end of 2013 tapos ang IRR, that's one and a half years ago. Bakit ngayon lang sila mag-uusap. Maybe this happened as a wake up call for the implementation of the food safety law. Sometimes things happen that makes you question why certain laws are not being implemented.

Q: Sa tingin ninyo yung implementation ng food safety law enough na para maiwasan ang fake rice?

Villar: Yes, at least pinpointed ang responsibility. Because under that, may mga responsibility ang agencies, sino ang mag-aalaga sa rice, processed food, etc... merong budget din. Tulad nun dalawang laboratory, hindi pa sila nagkaisa. Under the food safety law, they have to coordinate because they are DA and DOH, they are in the forefront of implementing the food safety law.

Q: Wala na kayong nakikitang legislation para maprotektahan...

Villar: We just passed a law in 2013. We should implement it first and see what happens; that's when we make amendments if it's not being implemented properly. Ngayon hindi nila iniimplement so hindi natin makita kung ano ang diperensya.

Q: Would you consider fake rice as smuggled rice?

Villar: Kaya din daw gawin locally sabi ng DOST. Kaya nga pinare-research ko sa kanila kung talagang may capability and make a report on it. Kung hindi kaya, then we can cancel yung probability na ginawa sa Pilipinas... Kasi they do rice fortification, this is the same process except hindi nila pino-fortify, kung ano-ano ang nilalagay nila.

Q: Nakipag-usap na ba kayo kina Sen. Grace at Sen. Chiz?

Villar: Hindi pa nga kami nag-uusap among NP, makikipag-usap pa kami sa iba?

Q: Meron daw NP members na nakikipag-usap na?

Villar: Human rights nila yun.

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