12B Corruption at NFA: Devastating Betrayal of Public Trust

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo

In the annals of governmental misconduct, there are few acts as heinous, as brazen, and as utterly contemptible as the rampant corruption festering within the National Food Authority (NFA). The recent revelation that the NFA, entrusted with safeguarding the nation’s rice reserves, callously sold off billions worth of rice without a shred of regard for due process or accountability, is a slap in the face of every hardworking Filipino. It’s a tale of betrayal, greed, and avarice, where the very institution meant to protect the people has become a den of thieves, plundering with impunity.

The news report, a damning indictment of the NFA’s malfeasance, paints a picture of an agency gone rogue, selling off millions of sacks of rice to private traders under the guise of disposing of aging stock. The numbers are staggering: 9.6 million sacks sold in just two years, amounting to a staggering P12 billion. And what’s worse? These transactions weren’t even subjected to the most basic scrutiny of a bidding process. Instead, they were shrouded in secrecy, with buyers paying a pittance, while the pockets of corrupt officials grew fat with ill-gotten gains.

But the crime doesn’t end there. It’s not just about the brazenness of the act, but the insidiousness of the cover-up. Documents falsified, records manipulated, and transactions concealed until after the fact, all to perpetuate a culture of impunity and deceit. The very fabric of our democracy is torn asunder when those entrusted with power and authority use it not for the public good, but for their own selfish ends.

What’s perhaps most infuriating is the response, or lack thereof, from those in positions of authority. The newly appointed NFA Officer in Charge, Larry Lacson, brushes off the allegations with a callousness that borders on criminal negligence. “Let’s wait for the results of the investigation,” he says, as if the theft of billions of pesos worth of rice can be swept under the rug with a mere shrug of the shoulders.

But we cannot afford to wait. The wheels of justice must turn swiftly and decisively. The Department of Agriculture and the Ombudsman must spare no effort in uncovering the truth and holding the perpetrators accountable. Those responsible for this egregious betrayal of public trust must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, their ill-gotten gains seized, and their names forever tarnished as symbols of corruption and greed.

And let us not forget the crime of omission, the dereliction of duty that allows corruption to fester and thrive. To turn a blind eye in the face of such flagrant wrongdoing is to be complicit in it. We, the Filipino people, must rise up and condemn this corruption in the strongest possible terms. We must demand transparency, accountability, and justice for those who have been wronged.

In the words of Alexander Pope, an English poet, “Expect the best, prepare for the worst.” Let us hope for a swift and decisive resolution to this sordid affair, but let us also be prepared to fight tooth and nail for the justice that our nation so desperately deserves. The time for complacency is over. The time for action is now.