THE price of paddy rice has dropped due to the implementation of Executive Order (EO) 62, which lowers the tariff on imported products such as rice.
This is according to the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), where the price of paddy rice has dropped to around 17 pesos, causing losses for farmers.
Even before the implementation of EO 62 on July 6, several groups filed a petition to the Supreme Court last week to request a Temporary Restraining Order to stop the order.
As of now, the SC has not yet issued a decision regarding the petition filed by the groups.
However, the farmers’ group’s fight against the government’s unjust tariff reduction does not end here.
According to Jayson Cainglet, Executive Director of SINAG, they are set to file a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman against some officials of the Tariff Commission, an agency under the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
‘’Our discussion earlier was that we would file a case with the Ombudsman against the officials of the Tariff Commission,’’ according to Jayson Cainglet Executive Director, SINAG.
Some documents still need to be prepared regarding the officials of the NEDA board. But, in the meantime, on Monday the case against the Commissioners of the Tariff Commission.
Criminal and administrative complaints will be filed with the Ombudsman against the Commissioners of the Tariff Commission due to alleged irregularities.
‘’The administrative complaint is because the officials of the Tariff Commission violated their own law. The Tariff Commission is guided by the CMTA or the Customs Modernization Tariff Act. The problem is that they did not conduct any hearings or consultations regarding Executive Order 62, so that’s the administrative case. The second is criminal because there are affected sectors, particularly the agricultural sector, due to their failure to fulfill their sworn duties,’’ Cainglet said.
They are hoping for immediate action from the Ombudsman once the complaint is filed against some government officials, as well as from the Supreme Court regarding the requested TRO.
They are open to talking to the President and personally conveying their opposition to EO 62, which will harm the agricultural sector.
