www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap on Sunday said the
suspected rice allegedly tainted with genetically modified organism (GMO) as
earlier claimed by the Archbishop of Manila were already pulled out in all
markets, February 2007.

In an interview, Yap said the buyer of 69,000 tons rice under PL-480 of
the United States has voluntarily pulled out from the market.

Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales earlier wrote to President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo asking for a moratorium on US rice imports which, according to his
supporters, were tainted with GMO.

The 9LLRice601 was reportedly imported by a giant food conglomerate and
sells under the brand name "Uncle Sam Texas Long-grain," according to a
petition sent to the Cardinal carrying 2,000 signatures.

Invoking the church's "moral obligation to protest the interest of God's
people and their inherent right to safe food and healthy environment," the
Cardinal pointed out that even the European Union has barred the LLRice 601
from its region.

Yap said the buyer did not wait for the result of the testing conducted by
the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to determine if indeed the rice imported
from the US are tainted.

He said the buyer cited "social responsibility" as the reason for the early
pull-out of rice imports from the markets.

Besides, Yap said they are still awaiting the result from the BPI so it
would not be proper to say that the rice imported from the US are tainted
and might be hazardous to human health.

On the other hand, Cardinal Rosales, in his letter to the President, also
called for a stop in the propagation of genetically modified (GM) products
in Philippine farms and markets.

He also urged the President "to certify as urgent" the bill that would
require mandatory labeling of all imported and locally-manufactured
processed food and other agricultural products in the country.

Yap stressed the government through the DA is implementing the 3-1000 test
for grains which determines if it (grains) was genetically modified.

"We are following strictly the procedure of 3-1000 testing for grains. We
ensure there is no GMO rice in the market," he said. (PNA)

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