The Manila City Jail is poised to buy commercial rice in the market .
This is due to lack of supply of rice from the outlet of the National Food Authority (NFA) in the city.
The jail facility buys 1,452 sacks of rice from the NFA Central Office Warehouse.
This is to feed its 5,600 inmates every month.
The city jail, however, has been advised that there is no available rice for sale at the NFA warehouse.
Meanwhile, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Manny Piñol describes the increase in the price of commercial rice as "highway robbery."
"Nakaw na po ito. Hindi na po ito negosyo (This is already stealing. This is not business anymore)," he said.
The alleged lack of NFA rice in some markets is being cited as reason for the spike in the price tags of commercial rice.
Piñol insists, there is no NFA rice shortage going on.
He explains, the NFA just currently lacks buffer stocks for the coming months.