Rice Tariffication Law burden to farmers, must be amended — Robredo

Vice President and presidential candidate Leni Robredo said Wednesday that she will push for amending the Rice Tariffication Law if she is elected president, saying that the law is a burden to farmers.

Robredo said this during a dialogue with the Sumilao farmers organization, which she helped during the group's walk from Bukidnon to Manila in the fight to get their land back in 2007.

The Sumilao farmers were eventually granted 94 hectares of land through the Voluntary Offer for Sale (VOS) scheme as provided under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in 2008.

Signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in February 2019, the Rice Tariffication Law allows unlimited rice imports, and provides for an annual P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund for rice farmers for the next six years. 

Of the said amount, the law earmarks P5 billion for mechanization, while P3 billion will be for seedlings, and the rest for the aid of farmers.

'Yung pagsabing rebisahin 'yung Rice Tariffication Law, kabahagi po 'yun ng programa natin. Nakikita naman natin na ang pinakasadya kasi ng Rice Tariffication Law, bumaba 'yung presyo ng bigas. Tama naman 'yun. Bumaba 'yung presyo ng bigas pero [dapat] hindi at the expense of the farmers, kasi noong bumaba, hindi naman siya bumaba sa level na pinapangarap," Robredo said during her dialogue with the Sumilao farmers.

(Revising the Rice Tariffication law is part of our program. The law is supposed to bring down the price of rice. Yes, it went down, but at the expense of our farmers because the price did not go down to the expected level.)

"Bumaba ng konti, pero ang nawala sa mga farmers milyon-milyon. Pag tinignan natin, sino ba 'yung nakinabang? 'Yung nakinabang 'yung mga traders. Hindi 'yung mga naghihirap," she added.

(Rice prices slightly went down but the farmers lost millions. At closer look, who benefitted from it? Only the traders, not the ones who are already struggling.)

According to Robredo, while the law is being amended, her government will also find ways to address the burden it brought about. 

"Talagang rerepasuhin ito, pero at the same time dapat hindi tayo humihinto. Hindi tayo humihinto maghanap ng paraan pa 'yung pinakamaliit among us, hindi naiiwan," she said. 

(We will revise it, but at the same time, we will not stop looking for solutions so that the smallest among us will not be left behind.) 

Robredo and her late husband, former Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, joined some of the Sumilao farmers in their tedious journey on foot when the farmers passed by Naga City.

At the time, Jesse was serving as mayor of Naga, and Robredo as a lawyer for Saligan, a legal NGO that helped the Sumilao farmers.

As once a part of the Sumilao farmers' struggle, Robredo then assured them that she will continue to join them in their fight for their rights.

"Ang akin pong assurance na kasama ninyo ako every step of the way. Hindi pa nga ako pangulo kasama niyo na ako, lalo na– lalo na pag binigyan tayo ng pagkakataon na mamuno. Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng sakripisyo pero siguro 'yung pinakapasalamat ko sa lahat, sa inspirasyon at sa pag-asang binibigay ninyo," she said.

(I assure you that I will be with you every step of the way. When I was not the President, I was with you. If given a chance to be President, I will still be with you. I thank you for your sacrifices, but I am most thankful for the inspiration you give me.)

"Kasi 'yung kuwento niyo kailangan nalalaman ng bawat magsasaka na hindi napupunta sa sayang 'yung lahat na sakripisyo dahil makikita sa Panao-Sumilao Farmers kung papano 'yung sakripisyo nagbunga sa kaginhawaan," she added.

(Your story should be heard by every farmer...that the sacrifice in the fight for what is right bear fruit and prosperity.)

Arroyo admin officials back Leni

As this developed, at least 47 former government officials who served under the administration of ex-President Gloria Arroyo have endorsed Robredo's 2022 presidential bid, saying a Robredo presidency is necessary to keep the country secure.

Among the signatories were Arroyo's press secretary Ignacio Bunye, then Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit, then Presidential Commission for Good Government Commissioner Ruben Carranza, former Home Development Mutual Fund President Romero Quimbo, then Defense Chief Avelino Cruz, ex-Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, among others.

"Many are beset by fear, anxiety and lethargy. We need a strong woman In the house to rekindle our energy and resolve. Leni Robredo represents the tough love of our mothers. She has the tenacious will to persuade [and] she drives our communities along the path of resilience," they said in a statement.

"We [will] vote Leni Robredo for President [because] she leads the Philippines through the pandemic and other fronts. With her, we stay safe, restore our economy and social fabric and keep our Republic whole and secure," their statement added.

The former Arroyo administration officials cited that Robredo has the ability to listen to all sectors and quiet a bevy of voices to bring people together.

"She lifts small enterprises, fishers and farmers and helps in creation of productive and fairly paid work through a covenant between business and government and cloaks the weakest from disease, ignorance and injustice," they pointed out.

"The work ahead Is to gather the nation around a battle of grit and fortitude. Lenl Robredo leads us in the uphill climb. Her daily work is transparent in talk and action, and she is honest with the people's money," they added.

The group then said that the complex tasks ahead, which include remote work, pandemic-proof systems, digital commerce, climate change, organized crime, phishing drugs, and terror are unabated, Robredo will be a bearer of balance, calm and hope.

"We must run abreast of the new ways of earning and living. As challenges mount, Robredo does more in less time," they said.

"We can only fight back with the iron fist of the law gloved in science, faith and creativity. She is rock-steady for military might, human security, and peace talks, as well as guards our Exclusive Economic Zone with constant vigilance and honorable diplomacy. As President, Robredo stands in front of our great battles," they said.

Arroyo, who is the chair emeritus of Lakas-CMD, is backing the presidential bid of former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Past presidents of the Philippine Bar Association (PBA) as well as at least 500 former and retired officials of the state-run National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and its attached agencies have also thrown their support behind Robredo's presidential bid.

"As heirs to a past earned by the sacrifice of our predecessors, we have a collective responsibility to ensure that the country's next leader adheres to the same ideals they have fought, bled and died for. Leni Robredo is that candidate," the past PBA leaders said in a statement.

They said Robredo has built a life serving the poorest of the poor.

"She has walked through rice paddies, climbed mountains, and journeyed to remote islands in a quest to reach those who have been left behind. For decades, she has been the kind and noble face of the legal profession in the most neglected areas," the statement said. 

"As we exit the ravages of  a pandemic, our next President must be one who can inspire people to put their faith back in their government. This is not righteousness for righteousness' sake. This is leading by example." 

A weary public, they said, will continue to question tax laws if they feel the president will shirk from these responsibilities.

"But a leader who lives a life of transparency and service, will move people to contribute to the nation's recovery. The public trusts VP Leni," they said.

"For more than a century, the PBA has kept watch to uphold the Rule of law. We believe VP Leni Robredo will keep this vigil alive. And we call on our colleagues in the profession to join us."

For their part, the 500 former and retired officials of NEDA and its attached agencies said that Robredo showed honest, decent, and competent leadership in dispensing the duties and functions of her office. 

"We believe that VP Robredo is the only candidate with a clear platform for inclusive and empowered citizenry to reduce poverty, improve access to and effective delivery of services, transparent  public financial management and good governance," the statement said. 

"Her grassroots advocacies, transparent governance, and efficient response to the pandemic, profile a courageous and compassionate leader that Filipinos deserve," they added. — LBG/VBL, GMA News