Gov't had a hard time stabilizing rice prices due to RTL — Palace
''Ang isa pa po natin tutukan eh 'yung batas ng RTL. 'Yung Rice Tariffication Law. Medyo nahirapan po talaga ang gobyerno nang ipasa itong RTL,'' Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a Tuesday briefing in New Delhi.
(We need to monitor the RTL. The government encountered challenges when the RTL was passed into law.)
''Sinasabi nila na magandang epekto nito pero nahirapan po ang gobyerno na i-stabilize ang presyo ng bigas. Dahil tinanggalan nila ng pakpak, tinanggalan nila ng power, ang NFA para mag-import,'' Castro said.
(They were saying that it has good effects, however, the government had a hard time stabilizing the price of rice because the law removed the NFA's power to import.)
Enacted in 2018 to liberalize rice importation, the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) empowers the President to halt imports under specific conditions.
There had been calls to amend the law to ensure that farmers will benefit from the liberalization of rice trading.
The RTL had barred the NFA from buying, selling, or importing rice—functions previously aimed at stabilizing market prices and supporting local farmers.
Meanwhile, Castro also defended President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr.'s power to modify tariff rates on rice, saying that it is under the 1987 Constitution.
''Ito naman po yung base sa Konstitusyon. Ayon sa Konstitusyon natin, okay, ang Congress po ay may power to impose tariff, pero binibigyan po at maaari pong bigyan at idelegate ang power sa Presidente to adjust tariff,'' she said.
''This is based on the Constitution. The Congress has the power to impose tariff but the President has the power to adjust tariff rates.)
Earlier, Senators Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros asked both the House of Representatives and the Senate to strip the President of such powers, citing the negative impact of imposing lowered tariffs on imported rice. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
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