Rice smuggling has been linked to price manipulation and Duterte, during a Senate hearing in 2014 said he would "gladly kill" rice smugglers in Davao, where he was mayor at that time.
"Ang direktiba ng president-elect, there will be no more importation by the private sector, it will only be NFA. We will stop rice smuggling. I can assure the Filipino people, rice smuggling can be stopped," former North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol told DZMM.
Piñol said Duterte ordered him to "make sure there is available and affordable food for the Filipino and stop corruption in the Department of Agriculture."
The former Governor, who had worked for the Duterte campaign, said he recently turned down a request from someone who asked him for a permit to import garlic and onions.
"Gusto niyo bang barilin ako ni Duterte sa harap ng maraming tao? I cannot fail my president," he said.
The incoming president has also named former agriculture secretary Carlos Dominguez as finance secretary, Arthur Tugade as transportation and communications secretary, and Jesus Dureza as peace adviser. He has offered former defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro to return to his old post.
Source: ABS-CBN
