By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City- Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Stephen Paduano will push for an investigation on the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), particularly the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
Paduano told reporters Thursday that the minority group is in the process of collating all major bills and important measures they will file when the House session resumes on November 16.
He said he will push for the review of the RTL when the House reconvenes.
Republic Act No. 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law, which was passed in February 2019, aims to modernize the agricultural sector as a way of making the sector globally competitive.
RTL is supposed to support rice farmers by increasing their productivity and income through the P10-billion annual budget from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
RCEF comes from the tariff revenues of rice imports.
“We want to review it and at the very least we want to investigate it as part of our oversight function. We want to know how the agency implemented it, especially the P10-billion RCEF,” Paduano said.
Paduano said he is already in close coordination with Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar to prepare for the probe.
He said they will tackle the issue by next month or December.
“We have to know if the implementation is being done to the letter based on the IRR or Implementing Rules and Regulations,” Paduano said.
He said there is already a resolution from one of the minority congressmen pushing for the probe which he said will be passed as a minority group house resolution.
Paduano also assured that all bills will be scrutinized by the minority under his stewardship.
“There will be no bill that will be passed un-scrutinized by the minority,” he said.
