Manila: The National Food Authority (NFA) on Wednesday announced it is expediting administrative procedures against employees allegedly involved in simple or grave misconduct to ensure the agency's uninterrupted operations.
According to Philippines News Agency, this action follows the agency's ongoing internal audit, which has led to the preventive suspension of 25 employees, the filing of 32 administrative cases, and the issuance of 54 show-cause orders since NFA Administrator Larry Lacson took office in March 2024.
The internal audit uncovered activities such as unauthorized transactions, discrepancies in records, and a decline in stocks beyond the 2 to 3 percent tolerable levels, among other issues.
In a phone interview, Lacson stated that the move serves as a warning against erring employees and unscrupulous traders to prevent illegal practices as the agency pursues food security reforms. He emphasized the importance of swift justice to avoid hampering the agency's operations, stating, "Justice delayed is justice denied."
Lacson revealed that the suspended employees include branch managers, assistant branch managers, warehouse supervisors, and staff from multiple NFA warehouses in regions such as Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and Western Visayas. While some have completed their suspension, others remain under preventive suspension pending further investigation.
The administrator stressed the need for fairness, noting, "We are carefully reviewing this to be fair to our competent and hardworking NFA employees because they are also being dragged into the issue." He assured that the agency is prepared to pursue criminal charges against those found liable for grave offenses.
Despite these challenges, Lacson assured that the NFA remains focused on supporting local farmers through its ongoing palay procurement and the sale of affordable rice under the 'Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na' program via the Food Terminal Inc. Currently, six cases remain under investigation by the NFA's legal division.
