News Release
April 13, 2008
Reference: Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, chairman, KMP and president, ANAKPAWIS party list
 
“Increase in NFA rice price may be the last straw for Gloria!”-KMP
Militant peasants reiterate that there is no need for NFA rice increase.
 
The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) warned Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that her regime’s planned increase in the price of National Food Authority (NFA) rice may be the last straw that would lead to massive protest actions to oust her for power.
According to Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, chairman of KMP and concurrent president of ANAKPAWIS party list “ the plan of Malacanang , the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the NFA to increase the price of NFA rice may be the trigger that would ignite the Filipino masses to flock to the streets and oust Gloria. The corruptions scandals are still fresh in peoples’ memories and they still want justice to be served add to this the fact that they are slowly being starved by this regime, then that would spell disaster for Gloria,”
“Hungry people are angry people; this is very basic if Gloria and her cohorts are going to take away the staple of Filipinos, then they are in for a lot of trouble. They should also not use us peasants as their justification for increasing rice prices. Let us remind this regime that the NFA was formed to ensure the food stock of our country and it is not a business venture, by increasing the price of NFA rice the ones who will benefit are the landlords, the rice cartel and unscrupulous traders while farmers and consumers are at the losing end. The NFA should not apply the rule of thumb that traders are using in buying palay that is doubling its price when converted into rice. The NFA is not a rice trader,” said Mariano.
“Besides it is not bad economics to shoulder the staple food of your people so that they can work better. What the NFA is not saying is how long will they buy palay at P17 and if they have a budget for it. Another point is that in reality the NFA only buys 1% of the total rice production in the country, so the ones who has the supply eg. the rice cartel controls the market and the price. The solution does not lie on increased NFA market participation to 50% but in placing a rice price control mechanism as well as an increase in productivity of farms and at least a 25% increase in NFA local rice procurement,” added the peasant leader.
“We will do everything we can to stop another round of increases in rice prices especially that of NFA rice. In fact many formations have already been formed to monitor rice prices and other issues concerning agriculture, we will continue to strengthen these groups so that the Filipino people will have an ally in defending their right to have affordable food,” ended Mariano. # # #