|
THE
Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday created its own
Anti-Rice Hoarding Task Force (ARHTF) to assist the
National Food Authority (NFA) in going after rice
hoarders and those engaged in overpricing and other
related crimes.
Justice
Secretary Raul Gonzalez named Senior State Prosecutor
Roberto Lao as chairman of the task force, with
prosecuting attorney Rhodora Salazar, state prosecutors
Nestor Lazara, Philip de la Cruz and Romeo Galvez as
members.
In an
interview, Gonzalez said the creation of the task force
is in line with the need to speedily institute measures
to stop and prevent rice hoarding and related crimes,
which can be considered acts of economic sabotage.
He said
the task force would handle inquest proceedings,
preliminary investigation and prosecution of all cases
relating to unlawful acts or omissions inimical to the
preservation and protection of the country’s rice supply
under Section 29 of Presidential Decree 4, as amended,
as well as the provision of other penal statutes and
related laws.”
The
Justice secretary said the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) would render the appropriate
resource and groundwork assistance to the ARHTF.
“The
ARHTF is, likewise, hereby authorized to directly
coordinate and seek the assistance of other law
enforcement and administrative agencies for purposes of
facilitating the investigation, resolution and
prosecution of such cases,” the memorandum stated.
Gonzalez
has already directed the task force to verify reports
whether the NFA in Central Visayas has suspended the
rice allocation of 21 accredited retailers in Cebu
province which were found to have committed violations
in the distribution and sale of government rice, such as
overpricing, unreasonable depletion of stocks,
nondisplay and refusal to sell stocks to consumers.
The DOJ
chief also asked the ARHTF to summon personalities
involved in the raid at the Inter-City Industrial Estate
in Bocaue, Bulacan, which houses 115 warehouses, each
containing 25,000 to 40,000 sacks of rice.
The area
purportedly supplies 65 percent of the country’s rice
demand.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez brushed off claims made by leftist
groups claiming that the government is the one hoarding
the country’s rice supply.
“Why
would the government hoard when we are buying 1.5
million metric tons of rice from Vietnam and negotiating
with Thailand to buy more?” Gonzalez added.
Also to
ensure that rice supplies would reach their target
clients without delay, Gonzalez said that the Army,
through the orders of the Department of National
Defense, has already agreed to lend to the NFA some 200
trucks to assist and facilitate delivery.
At the
same time, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has
alerted all its police regional offices and national
support units to go after rice hoarders and illegal
traders who are diverting government-subsidized rice to
commercial markets.
In a
memorandum circulated to all PNP units, Chief
Superintendent Silverio Alarcio Jr., PNP director for
operations, said police action is being initiated “to
preempt the possible impact on peace and order of the
increase in prices of rice and other basic commodities.”
Alarcio
ordered regional directors to closely coordinate with
the local offices of the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the
NFA and local government units in monitoring the prices
of basic commodities, especially rice and other food
products.
The PNP
units were instructed to arrest and investigate
individuals who are engaged in unauthorized remilling of
rice and the rebagging of NFA grain products.
Police
units will also provide security to rice-storage
facilities, government food warehouses and NFA-accredited
rice warehouses against possible pilferage, and to
prevent NFA rice from being diverted to the commercial
market by unscrupulous traders.
“If it
is necessary that we should tail all trucks hauling NFA
rice to ensure that the cargo does not end up in illegal
warehouses, we will do that and hit hard on the hoarders
who are causing this artificial crisis,” Alarcio said.
The DTI
attributes the “artificial shortage” and rising prices
of commercial rice to high fuel prices, lower production
due to global warming, rising demand due to over
population and the 150-percent increase in the price of
fertilizers.
PNP
spokesman Senior Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, said “the PNP
is doing its share in normalizing the market situation
and possibly mitigating the effects of rising prices of
rice and other basic commodities.”
“The PNP
fully supports the inter-agency campaign initiated by
the DTI, DA, NFA, Neda [National Economic and
Development Authority], and the National Price
Coordinating Council to stabilize food prices,” he said. |
