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Friday, April 04, 2008
Arroyo, de Castro inspect rice warehouses
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday led a surprise inspection of a rice warehouse in Paco, Manila.
Arroyo was irritated by the failure of Isabela Greenfield Corporation to present proper documentations including importation permits and customs receipts.
Vice President Noli de Castro, together with Trade Secretary Peter Favila and Undersecretary Salvador Salacop, meanwhile visited the Commonwealth Market in Quezon City to check on the prices of rice and other commodities.
Last week, de Castro visited the fully stocked storage and warehouses in Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela. He also led a raiding team in swooping down on warehouses allegedly keeping supplies of rice in Balagtas, Bulacan last Tuesday.
Accompanied by Yap, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Nestor Mantaring and NFA officials, President Arroyo discovered that the warehouse located at the corner of Figueroa and Pedrigon Streets has no record book that would account for the 7,733 sacks of rice, which included 242 sacks of imported rice from Thailand and 225 sacks from the United States.
Arroyo said available documentations show that there should be lesser stock of rice in the warehouse.
She added that the owners could be liable for hoarding if they are not able to present their record books and account for the additional stocks.
The owners, during talks with the President, assured her that the NFA rice kept in their warehouse are sold at P18.25 per kilo and would go to the Tindahan Natin.
Arroyo, before leaving the warehouse, ordered the testing of the rice supplies to ensure that NFA rice is not mixed with the other commercial grade rice. Sample of each variety of rice, including Sinandomeng, Dinorado, Aroma rice and NFA rice, were taken by the NFA for testing.
The President during the visit also instructed state universities and colleges (SUCs) to make their gyms available as warehouses for rice. She also told SUCs to teach agriculture and related courses to use their available lands for farming and agriculture demonstrations.
Arroyo likewise ordered the use of military trucks for delivery and distribution of rice. The move aims to prevent incurring additional expenses local government units (LGUs) tax private trucks passing by their areas.
Arroyo meantime defended the Chinese community, stressing that hoarding and illegal rice-trade practices know no nationality.
"It's not ethnic-based. There are hoarders of all colors," she said when asked about the reported presence of some Chinese traders in provinces like Isabela that contribute to hoarding and price manipulation practices.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. admitted that there are some Chinese who engaged in the illegal activity, but said some Filipino millers and retailers are involved in such practices.
He said the government has "started prosecuting already" some arrested hoarders, including those who owned the 111 warehouses that were raided in Bulacan.
He said they are also looking into alleged illegal practices in Cebu.
Gonzalez said charges of economic sabotage, which is punishable with life imprisonment, may be filed against traders and millers involved in hoarding while additional charges of plunder maybe raised against government officials who maybe proven to be involved in the illegal activities.
"Our first initiative is to ask for the help of Filipinos who can give us information because we are not here to witch-hunt but to see to it that the crimes, if at all, will have to be stopped. There can be a possibility of economic sabotage or even plunder," he said.
He urged the Chinese-Filipino community to work with government by providing information that could help lead to the stop of the illegal practice and the prosecution of unscrupulous traders. (Sunnex) |
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