The National Federation of Peasant Women (Amihan) welcomes House Resolution 992 filed by the Makabayan bloc urging the committees on Agriculture and Food and Good Government and Public Accountability to investigate the overpriced fertilizers by the Department of Agriculture.
“There is urgency for an immediate investigation as DA’s distribution of fertilizers as well as the procurement process for the remaining fertilizers is ongoing. Everyone involved should be held accountable for having the guts to steal public funds while millions of Filipinos are suffering from the impact of the pandemic,” Amihan national chairperson Zenaida Soriano said.
Farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) earlier claimed that the total contract for the P1.8B fertilizer could be overpriced by at least P271.66 million as the prevailing average price of urea is pegged at P850 per bag.
“This amount could have procured additional 319,600 bags of fertilizers which could have benefitted additional 159,800 farmers,” Soriano said.
“The Department of Agriculture should cooperate on the investigations to be held in Congress and Senate and reveal all necessary information to get to the bottom of this mess,” Soriano added.
“Hinihikayat namin ang mga magsasaka at ang publiko na maging mapagmatyag kung paano ginagamit ng gobyerno ang bilyon-bilyong pondo para sa mga programa bilang tugon sa COVID-19 upang labanan ang korapsyon at matiyak na mapapakinabangan ito ng mamamayang Pilipino,” Soriano ended. ###
