MANILA, Philippines – Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. suspended 139 officials and employees of the National Food Authority (NFA) on Monday, March 4, over “the controversial sale of rice buffer stocks.”

Suspended officials include administrator Roderico Bioco and assistant administrator for operations John Robert Hermano. Also among the 139 who were served suspension letters on Monday are several regional managers and warehouse supervisors across the country.

“We intend to dig deep as far as 2019 at least and welcome those who would come forward to assist us in cleansing the NFA,” said Tiu Laurel in a statement on Monday.

Tiu Laurel will temporarily take over the leadership of the NFA “to avoid any delays in the services and projects of the agency.”

An official accusing several executives “improperly disposing buffer stocks without bidding and at a price allegedly disadvantageous to government” spurred the investigation. Tiu Laurel has since urged concerned officials to take a leave of absence to give way to the probe.

“Rice is the main food staple of tens of millions of Filipinos, particularly the poor,” Tiu Laurel said.

“We cannot allow those who have been entrusted this noble task to bilk the NFA, enriching themselves at the expense of millions who struggle every day for a chance [to] feed their families.”

The investigation, conducted jointly by the Office of the Ombudsman and the agriculture department, is still ongoing. The DA said more information will be released to the public once results are out.

Bioco had already filed a leave of absence before the suspension, “to allow investigators a freehand to undertake the probe, which we expect will go beyond this controversy.”

Under the Rice Tariffication Law, the NFA is mandated to keep the countrys rice buffer stock at optimal level of 15-30 days of national rice consumption, factoring in emergency and disaster situations. The NFA can dispose of stocks before rice quality deteriorates or becomes unsafe for consumption.