Ex-NSA denies submitting ‘report’ on onion smugglers

FORMER National Security Adviser (NSA) Clarita Carlos said she did not submit a report to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. which identified personalities supposedly linked to smuggling and hoarding of onions.

Carlos, quoted by a GMA News report, said the claims “have no basis.”

According to Carlos, it is the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) that should be asked if it has submitted such a report to Mr. Marcos.

Carlos called on those behind the information about the supposed report to stop, adding that “I already resigned. Leave me alone,”

The speculations emerged after Carlos resigned from her post as National Security Adviser and transferred to the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department of the House of Representatives, GMA News reported.

Earlier, a Senate inquiry was launched to investigate the high prices of onions in the country. President Marcos, who is also the Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary, said he did not believe there were people who plotted to have Carlos removed as National Security Adviser.

Rep. Wilbert T. Lee of AGRI party-list group meanwhile called for greater collaboration between the government and agriculture stakeholders in battling agricultural smuggling.

“Our agri-stakeholders are there offering their help (to address the issue on agricultural smuggling). I hope the government accepts this offer, as we need all the help we can get to comprehensively address agri-smuggling in our country,” Lee said.

The lawmaker emphasized that the involvement of stakeholders that face the issue of smuggling and are most affected by its effects “should be given a seat at the table.” These stakeholders have key insights that policy-makers and implementers might miss out on, Lee added.

Lee also lauded the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), which has been working with the DA’s counterintelligence team in various operations in entry ports such as Manila and Subic.

The lawmaker also urged President Marcos, Jr. to institutionalize the inspectorate and enforcement division of the DA, which is currently headed by Asst. Sec. James Layug.

In other developments, the Philippine Egg Board Association (PEBA) is discouraging the public from buying frozen eggs as these are not according to standards.

At the Mega Q Mart in Quezon City, frozen eggs are being sold at P55 per kilo, GMA News reported. The eggs which are taken out of their shells are placed in a plastic bag which is kept in a freezer.

This costs much less than fresh eggs, which on Wednesday had the following prices at Mega Q Mart: P210 per tray for extra small eggs, P220 per tray for small; P227 for medium; P235 for large; P246 for extra large; and P252 for jumbo. One egg meanwhile is around P5, which is lower than the prices last week.

PEBA president Irwin Ambal warned the public against buying frozen eggs. “It’s hard because these need to be kept in cold chain, either in a chiller [or freezer.]” Maricel Cruz

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ready to extend its office hours during the last day of the voter registration period on Tuesday.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said Monday that registration sites will accept applicants until all those queued have been served. Based on Comelec Resolution No. 10868 or the rules on the voter registration for the next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), all Election Assistants (EAs) are directed to list down the names of persons waiting in line to file their applications for registration, and are within a 30-meter radius from the voter registration sites, at 3 p.m. of the last day of the registration period.

Voter registration activities resumed last Dec. 12, 2022, and the poll body said the voter registration period for the BSKE would no longer be extended.