BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR

PRESIDENT Arroyo yesterday ordered the National Food Authority to file a criminal case against its former provincial manager for Misamis Oriental who allegedly diverted supplies of low-priced rice to commercial markets.

Arroyo, at the 4th Mindanao Cooperative Summit at the Lei Kai Center in Cagayan de Oro City, said there shall be "no sacred cows" in safeguarding food security.

Macario Lagura Jr. has been reassigned to the NFA national office pending resolution of complaints filed against him by the Grains Retailers Confederation of the Philippines and the NFA Employees Association.

The complainants said Lagura allocated large volumes of rice to favored traders who sell the diverted grains at P25 to P30 a kilo. NFA rice costs P18.50 a kilo.

Arroyo directed the NFA to "put its own house in order" starting with a "prudent and strict" management of the distribution of the NFA rice stocks to make sure it reaches the specialized markets like the "Tindahan Natin" and other authorized dealers.

"One of the problems with our trying to have Tindahan Natin and special low-priced NFA rice is the temptation to divert the subsidized rice to the traders and then they get sold in the commercial market rather than in the specialized market for the poor, so it is a problem we have to solve. It is part of the culture of corruption that we still have to fight," she said.