|
Saturday, May 03, 2008
DOJ summons 5 traders over rice hoarding
MANILA -- The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday summoned five rice traders to answer allegations of hoarding, price manipulation, and selling and storing of rice without permit.
The subpoenas, signed by State Prosecutor Nestor Lazaro, were issued against Ernesto Tan of Calapan City, Mindoro Oriental; Teofilo Laquinta of Quezon City; Jovencio Hisarza of Marilao, Bulacan; Henry Jimenez of Daet City, Camarines Norte; and Remedios Almazan of Canaman, Camarines Sur.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
The traders were told to appear in preliminary investigation hearings set on May 14 and 21.
Lazaro said the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI) anti-rice hoarding task force operatives, headed by NBI Regional Director for Intelligence Ricardo Diaz, will serve the subpoenas.
Agents of the NBI, National Food Authority (NFA), and local officials raided the warehouses of the five accused last month.
They were found to be illegally keeping stocks of rice, manipulating prices, and operating without permit from the NFA as prohibited by Presidential Decree (PD) 4, otherwise known as the Anti-Hoarding Act.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in her visit to the DOJ early this week, ordered the justice department and the task force to focus their campaign on rice traders and not on millers.
This order came a week after rice millers in the provinces became wary of buying grains from farmers lest their warehouses be raided and they be accused of hoarding.
But with millers not buying grains at big volumes, farmers face the prospect of selling their produce at lower prices to few buyers.
During the meeting at the justice department, President Arroyo grilled members of the anti-rice hoarding task force, including the NBI agents and government prosecutors, on the progress of their efforts against rice hoarding.
On April 17, the NBI also filed charges of rice hoarding against five Chinese traders who were arrested in separate operations in Isabela last Wednesday.
Charged were Ting Ting Lee, Zeny Uy, Anna Marie Velasco Chua, Pan Ziqiang, and Lita Dy Pua.
Lee and Uy were arrested in Barangay San Vicente, Ilagan, Isabela, while Pan was arrested in Alicia, Isabela. Pua and Chua remain at large.
The traders were charged for engaging in palay (unhusked rice) trading without authorization and license from the NFA, as well as for violating the signboard provision of the Revised Rules and Regulation on Grains Business. They also face charges of lack of record book showing their grains transactions, and using unprescribed price tags.
The NBI recovered 76 sacks of palay from the traders.
In addition, Pan was charged with illegal price manipulation through the commission of hoarding, cornering and hoarding of grain, and not having an NFA license and a record book at his warehouse.
Found by the NBI at Pan's rice mill were about 8,200 bags of palay, 3,500 bags of rice, and 500 bags of rice bran.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. directed NBI Director Nestor Mantaring to look into the possibility of the suspects shipping rice grains to China or Taiwan, where these could fetch higher prices.
Gonzalez said the NBI is now closely coordinating with the Department of Agriculture (DA) in gathering information against rice hoarders and their cohorts within the agency.
"Charges of economic sabotage could be filed against those who are hoarding large quantity of rice. It is part of the investigation that the NBI is doing now," Gonzalez said, adding that the NBI is also looking into the possible involvement of some NFA personnel with rice hoarders. (ECV/Sunnex)
(May 3, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here. For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 3, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
