| A Filipino woman buys rice at a market in Manila on Wednesday. A sharp rise in the price of rice has hurt consumer pocketbooks and raised fears of public turmoil in the many parts of Asia where rice is a staple. (AP photo) |
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MANILA -- The Department of Justice (DOJ) has stepped into the looming rice crisis after it constituted a panel of prosecutors Wednesday to go after rice traders and middlemen engaged in rice hoarding or cartels.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. issued a department order creating the Anti-Rice Hoarding Task Force, which shall supervise proceedings on inquest, preliminary investigation, and prosecution of all cases relating to unlawful acts "inimical to the preservation and protection of the country's rice supply."
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