MANILA - UniTeam senatorial candidate Harry Roque vowed to consider measures that would alleviate the plight of Filipino rice farmers and shield them from the disadvantageous provisions of the rice tariffication law.

If elected in the Senate, Roque said he would look into the graft-prone provisions of the rice tariffication law (Republic Act 11203), which has liberalized the country's rice trading, importation, and exportation.

Under the law, an annual PHP10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund will be allocated to farm machinery and equipment, rice seed development, expanded rice credit assistance, and extension services to increase farmers' income.

"The government should investigate whether the ayuda (financial assistance) being provided to rice farmers is prone to corruption, and the collected tariff benefits them," Roque said in a news release on Monday.

The former party-list congressman disclosed that he had received complaints over the years about the low farmgate prices for palay (unhusked rice) and questionable access of farmers to machinery, specifically tractors.

Roque recalled being privy to these matters since President Rodrigo Roa Duterte would urge local officials and people to email or report all corruption-related issues to his office as then-presidential spokesman.

He expressed concern over complaints from several rice farmers that the buying price for palay would go as low as PHP12 per kilo since the tariffication law was enacted in 2018.

Citing the National Food Authority (NFA), Roque said, "The agency can no longer buy rice at a certain price because imported rice is comparatively cheaper. Even if we factor in the 40 percent tariff."

"The government must address this great disservice to rice farmers that support the country's economic backbone, agriculture," the health and human rights advocate stated.

"Rather than merely increasing their subsidy, we must ensure a higher buying price for palay to protect their income and livelihood," he added.

He vowed to launch an inquiry on the reported cartel on farm tractor dealerships and local officials favoring sure farmers over the use of machinery while charging others with higher rental fees.

According to a Philippine News Agency report, the Federation of Central Luzon Farmers Cooperative said farmers tend to sell their palay right away to private traders instead of NFA that purchases palay at PHP19 kilo.

The group has called on the government to raise the support price of palay to at least PHP23 a kilo due to soaring production costs and fuel prices. (PR)