Speaker Martin Romualdez (rightmost) talks to officials of the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM) in Makati City on Sept.1, 2023. Also in the photo are Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo (leftmost) and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Sandro Marcos (center). (Speaker’s office)

"We will root you out." 

This was House Speaker Martin Romualdez's stern warning to rice industry stakeholders--particularly those who don't follow the law--during a meeting Friday morning, Sept. 1 at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City. 

The Speaker's office described the discussion between Romualdez and the officials of the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM) as "no-holds barred". 

“If you want to be part of the solution, you are with us, we will help you, we’re going to support you. But if you’re part of the problem, we will root you out,” Romualdez told the PRISM representatives during the meeting, which was held amid steadily rising prices of rice. 

Earlier, Romualdez, leader of the 311-strong House of Representatives, issued a statement supporting President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s Executive Order (EO) No. 39, which imposed a price ceiling on rice. 

He said the House is serious in helping the President attain his immediate goal of stabilizing rice prices, as well as the long-term goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency for the country. 

“We won’t stop until the President is successful in achieving his targets. We’re very serious about it. And we’re not gonna stop here in Luzon, we’ll go to Visayas and Mindanao. We’re gonna hit every region,” Romualdez said, referring to the joint raids conducted by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the House on rice warehouses in Bulacan last month. 

“If we find out that people are importing and hoarding and profiteering, we’re going to raid. And Customs will just seize it and give it to DSWD, to Kadiwa, to the DA for sale at a much lower price point,” he added. 

Accompanying the  Speaker during the meeting were Senior Deputy Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, Appropriations Committee Chairman Elizaldy Co, Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo, Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman Mark Enverga, and agriculture panel Vice Chairman David “Jay-jay” Suarez. 

While the Speaker acknowledged the gesture of PRISM to sell rice at P38 a kilo, he noted that the target of the recent raids in Bulacan were members of their group that were being suspected of hoarding and smuggling. 

He said the group could show their sincerity by helping the government unmask the “bad eggs” or members suspected of involvement in unscrupulous trade practices. 

“We will call them in. We will be the one to talk to them on our terms. If we have to detain them until they tell us the truth, we will do that. And if we have to make sure they’re out of the business of smuggling profiteering or hoarding, we’ll get them out,” vowed the Leyte 1st district congressman.  

Romualdez thanked the PRISM representatives for providing lawmakers with valuable inputs on the state of the country’s rice industry. But he also made sure to warn the stakeholders not to threaten or scare the government. 

“Don’t try to scare the government. The government can take over and do the importing itself and just break even or even subsidize. At the end of the day the people---the over 100 million Filipinos –should not be overcharged and go hungry,” Romualdez said.