Friday, April 25, 2008 Wife of dead man in NFA line wants gov't action By Kathlyn Valdehueza Pilgrim Christian College Intern
THE wife of the man who died shortly after falling in line to buy government-subsidized rice has taken the cudgels for others who still had to queue and often fight at each other just to buy low-priced staple food.
"There must be a way to stop people from undergoing physical torture just to get something on the table," said Linda, whose husband Henry Valle fell dead on the floor Monday at their residence in San Juan 2, Barangay Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City.
Along with his son, John Paul, Henry had just come from a retail outlet of the National Food Authority (NFA) in Agora Market before he died. Doctors at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) initially said Valle died of heatstroke.
John Paul said it too took him and his father three hours to reach the end of the line and buy themselves six kilos of rice -- all in the sweltering heat of the midday sun.
Henry's widow called on the government to put up a better system for the poor to avail of NFA rice, noting that buyers had to endure all physical strains just to buy a limited amount of the staple food.
Valle's autopsy meanwhile confirmed that he died of heart failure and gastro-intestinal problem, which doctors said was triggered by long exposure to the sun.
His internment will this coming Saturday in his hometown in Talakag, Bukidnon province.
Last week, NFA started handing out control numbers to buyers to bring order in the long lines. The measure, however, has not proven effective as the lines continue to grow by the day.
