DA told to probe smuggling of onions

President Arroyo ordered yesterday the Department of Agriculture to immediately act on complaints on the rampant dumping of smuggled red onions in the local market, which affects onion farmers from Nueva Ecija.

Mrs. Arroyo said investigators from Malacañang have traced the problem to graft and corruption in the DA.

"Proof of how serious this problem is one representative of the DA who is helping correct this problem received a death threat last Saturday. So the problem is really deep," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo flew to Nueva Ecija yesterday to lead the celebration of the 107th anniversary of the historic "Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija" when Filipino revolutionaries declared war against the Spanish colonizers.

Accompanied by several Cabinet members led by Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo, Mrs. Arroyo assured Novo Ecijanos led by Gov. Tomas Joson III that she has already acted on the problem of onion smuggling.

"Rest assured that your President, along with my Cabinet members, are here to support you so that we can achieve our goals," she said.

The President also announced the setting aside of P2 billion needed to start the construction of the 20-kilometer Cabanatuan by-pass road that would reduce travel time from Nueva Ecija to Metro Manila.

The by-pass road is part of the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway which crosses nine bridges all the way from Plaridel, Bulacan up to Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija.

"I’d like to announce that the bidding process has started so we can begin the construction of the Cabanatuan by-pass road," Mrs. Arroyo said.