4 weeks ago
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THE Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) Party-list has lauded the arrest and filing of charges against four individuals who were caught during a raid made by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) on a warehouse of rice in Bocaue, Bulacan on Feb. 10.
In a statement, AGAP Party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones said that the owners of the warehouse should also be charged under Republic Act 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, which carries life imprisonment and carries no bail.
He said that it is not enough that the warehouse manager, two cashiers, and inventory officer of the warehouse will be charged with hoarding, adulteration, profiteering, untruthful labeling, and economic sabotage.
The registered owner of the warehouse, according to the NBI and DA, is a Filipino named Elizabeth Pineda who remains at large.
Briones said that he is glad that those who raided the warehouse are now part of the enforcement group, which is investigating and inspecting warehouses that may be involved in exploiting consumers.
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He stressed that due to the exploitation of consumers, the price of rice continues to be high, which should have dropped by P14 per kilo due to the 20-percent reduction in the tariff and the decrease in the world market price of $400.
"It is only right to inspect all warehouses that may be hoarding and hiding rice, that is why its price does not decrease," Briones added.
Briones also pushed the implementation of a maximum suggested retail price on imported pork before local pork, which could pull down the price of local pork.
This way, Briones said, local hog raisers who suffered losses due to the African swine fever (ASF) will be able to recover.
Meanwhile, AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee has called on the DA to implement the food security emergency for a maximum of three months only, while pushing the purchase of rice from local farmers to replenish the National Food Authority's buffer stock.
Lee said that the declaration of a national food emergency should only be a "short term solution."
"The government should buy the palay of local farmers in prices that will ensure their revenue and would convince them to increase their production that would decrease the prices in the market," Lee said.
