N. Cotabato LGUs to disperse Duterte's rice to drought-hit farmers

KIDAPAWAN CITY – The city’s chief executive here intends to distribute thousands of sacks of rice from the Davao City government to drought-affected residents regardless if they joined the farmers’ rally on April 1 that led to a violent dispersal.Mayor Joseph Evangelista said the distribution, which started on Friday, was spearheaded by staff of the City Social Welfare and Development, Red Cross, and workers of each barangay.He said that each drought-hit household will receive seven kilos of 7-Tonner rice from the Davao City and five kilos of National Food Authority rice from the DSWD. Whether they joined the farmers’ rally last April, each household, as long as they are affected by the recent drought, will be given rice from the government,” said the mayor.Data from the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) showed that of the 6,000 rallyists, at least 738 individuals came from Kidapawan City.In Barangay Balabag, this city, village officials had to put on hold the rice dispersal after they found out at least 65 sacks of 7-Tonner rice had been changed to NFA rice.Datu Eduardo Umpan, chairman of Barangay Balabag, said they were so certain the rice are not of good quality after they checked two of the sacks that arrived in their area. We cooked the rice.The smell and the texture are not of 7-Tonner, rather, it was more of an NFA rice,” said the chairman. Evangelista has asked Chairman Balabag to present samples of the rice while ordering for a thorough investigation. At least 3,000 sacks of rice that arrived from Davao City were stored in a private warehouse here, according to Evangelista. In Arakan town, also in North Cotabato, the local government dared members and officers of the KMP to present to them a master list of the farmers that joined the rally in Kidapawan City. Until Friday, the Arakan LGU told media that the KMP failed to submit names of the farmer-beneficiaries. They said that as part of protocol, they could not just release bags of rice to KMP without the list. As per instruction from the Social Welfare Office in Davao City, we have to get the list of farmers and have them signed in a paper that, indeed, they received such rice donation.The fund that was used was taken from Davao City’s disaster risk reduction fund, which is subject of an audit from the Commission on Audit,” the LGU Arakan said.KMP North Cotabato spokesman Gerry Alborme claimed LGUs of Arakan, Magpet, and Kidapawan City are making delays in the distribution of Duterte’s rice.Why would they not give the rice to our farmers?In the first place, these bags of rice were donated to North Cotabato because we demanded them from the provincial government.But instead of getting the rice, they ordered the police dispersed us and shoot us,” said Alborme.