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Thursday, March 23, 2006
Council wary of '5-6' probe
By Danilo V. Adorador III
THE proposals to investigate dubious businesses of some Indian nationals in the city may have unwittingly earned support from Senator Ramon Revilla.
Revilla said Tuesday that his office is looking into reports that some Indian nationals are conducting lending and buy and sell business without corresponding permits, while some of them may be staying illegally in the country.
The senator's pronouncement struck a chord on the special report of Councilor Reynaldo Advincula Monday, alleging that some Indian traders may have violated the country's retail trade act -- the law granting exclusive commercial rights to Filipinos.
But Advincula's call for an inquiry on the matter was shortly torpedoed by his colleagues in the majority, warning that any probe of such nature may be discriminatory and smacks of racism.
Advincula questioned the popular 5-6 or 20 percent interest lending scheme to which the Indian community in the city is known, including the loan on installment basis system on goods whose price are highly inflated.
He clarified that he was not taking aim at Indian's bona fide businesses, but only on unlicensed ones like the "usurious" 5-6.
Councilor Jose Benjamin Benalso whose Trade and Commerce committee was tasked to look into Advincula's report, said that several points need to be answered before an actual investigation could commence.
Among these are whether there are verified and specific complaints, from which the committee can anchor its investigation, who are the personalities to be investigated and if they include other foreign nationals or only Indians, and lastly what are the specific parameters of the investigation.
While he appreciates the win-win formula of Councilor Simeon Licayan -- that is, inviting appropriate government agencies and not the Indians themselves -- Benaldo said it would be more prudent to wait having the report substantiated to the core.
"Councilor Advicula's intention was very genuine but I'd rather wait for the specifics. It would be a sweeping investigation if we do the investigation now," Benaldo said.
(March 23, 2006 issue)
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