Saturday, April 19, 2008 'Rice crisis' diverts attention from ZTE scandal By Aquiles Z. Zonio
KORONADAL CITY -- An opposition leader suspected that the rice crisis was part of the strategy to divert the people's attention from the controversial national broadband network (NBN)-ZTE deal.
Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes told reporters this is very unusual as government will always be not the first to sound the first alarm.
However, Fuentes said that in this case, it was the government that made the first noise by announcing a rice shortage.
"Di ba very unusual kasi usually kaming nasa gobyerno pag may ganitong problema tinatago namin yan eh. Sabi ko bakit ina-announce na may crisis kaya tuloy bigla may panic at nagtaasan halos lahat. Kung ito ay scenario o planado, napakagaling ng planners. Pero kung hindi naman, talagang napakabuenas ng Presidente," Fuentes said.
Just a few weeks after the issue on rice crisis broke out, the NBN-ZTE controversy has virtually been sidetracked.
The governor said nobody is talking now about the ZTE scandal because our attention is gripped by the shortage and skyrocketing prices of rice.
Fuentes has ordered close monitoring on various rice granaries and warehouses in the province to ensure there would be no hoardings.
The governor warned unscrupulous traders against taking advantage of the situation.
"Pag maraming nagdi-demand ng rice, sa gusto natin at hindi ang presyo ng bigas tataas. Ang hindi natin gustong makita ay mataas na pala masyado yong ganansiya ng traders wala pang kita ang farmers. Ang importante sa atin na makaka-gain ang farmers," the governor said.
The National Food Authority (NFA) in Central Mindanao had implemented a high alert status following the shortage of rice.
Art Aller, head of NFA local price monitoring coordinating council, told reporters that they are conducting constant monitoring and surveillance on all grain traders in the region to ensure there is no hoarding, rice mixing or adulteration.
On Tuesday, Aller said, three big rice traders in General Santos were slapped with fine, after they were found out selling underweight bags of rice.
Instead of 50-kilogram per sack, they found out that the bags of rice coming from the three traders were just 49.5-kilogram.
