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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider NBI recommends filing of charges vs 6 persons for hoarding of onions, profiteering

NBI recommends filing of charges vs 6 persons for hoarding of onions, profiteering

Published Sep 18, 2023 11:47 am

Six persons, three of them government officials, may face formal investigation before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on charges of hoarding and profiteering in the sale of onions last December when prices soared to as much as P587 per kilo.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said late Monday afternoon, Sept. 18, the recommendation to prosecute the six hoarders and profiteers was made by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) which conducted the probe. 

Remulla, however, did not reveal the identifies of those recommended for formal investigation pending the evaluation to be done by the DOJ's national prosecution service.

He said the NBI's probe on the prices and supply of onions were ordered by President Marcos.

Aside from hoarding and profiteering, Remulla said the violations may lead to price manipulation and economic sabotage, a capital offense.

Remulla said "kasama ang mga opisyal sa gobyerno rito sapagkat ang tingin  namin  sila po ay talagang lumalabas na may sala sa pagkakataong ito (government officials are among those recommended for prosecution because we believe that they are also involved).”

“Ito ay simula pa lang. Marami pa hong kasong ipapafile at tuloy-tuloy ang imbestigasyon ng NBI (This is just the start. There will be more cases to be filed and the NBI will continue with its investigation),” he said.

DOJ Undersecretary Geronimo L. Sy said the recommendation of the NBI stemmed from the overpriced onions sold in the market back in December that reached up to P537 per kilogram even if the farmgate price or cost of production was only between P8 to P15 per kilo.

Sy said that due to lack of supply, the Department of Agriculture (DA) procured back in December 8,000 bags of onions of 25 kilos per bag.

“Nadeliver actually at nagbayad actually ang gobyerno (there was payment for actual deliveries) from funds downloaded from the DA," he said.

But he said the investigators found that there was only one bidder who submitted three bids. "Yung ibang bids are actually fictitious para manalo ‘yung preferred bidder (The other bids were fictitious so that the preferred bidder will win in the bidding process),” he explained.

 

 

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