NBI probes 'rice holding' in Mindanao Container Terminal

CAGAYAN DE ORO. A storekeeper tends to the rice on display at the Cogon public market as prices of this staple has soared, while the release of thousands of bags of imported rice was delayed by the Bureau of Customs in Northern Mindanao due to the volume of goods that came in recently. (Jigger J. Jerusalem)
CAGAYAN DE ORO. A storekeeper tends to the rice on display at the Cogon public market as prices of this staple has soared, while the release of thousands of bags of imported rice was delayed by the Bureau of Customs in Northern Mindanao due to the volume of goods that came in recently. (Jigger J. Jerusalem)

THE Bureau of Customs is under investigation after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Northern Mindanao found tons of rice being held at the Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

Lawyer Alex Cabornay, NBI-Northern Mindanao head agent, said the incident is however not considered "rice hoarding," but a "rice holding."

"The rice shipment has complete documents but customs officials have not released it yet, that's why we are puzzled," Cabornay said.

Cabornay said the investigation shall determine if the local customs officials have lapses for holding the rice shipment at the port.

He said the rice trader who owned the shipment was the one who told them that his rice is still being held unnecessarily at the port despite the complete documents.

The rice, he added, is now being released and gets ready to be shipped in different parts of Mindanao, such as Dipolog, Iligan, including Cagayan de Oro.

Lawyer Edgardo Uy, chairperson of the City Price Coordinating Council, said rice hoarding influences the prices of rice in the market. If the demand is high but supply is short, Uy said this causes rice traders to increase the prices.

Meanwhile, Cabornay also clarified that there is no truth to reports that the NBI has already identified rice hoarders in the region.

He said they still have not found any rice hoarders to date. He assured the public, though, that the NBI is in close coordination with the National Food Authority and other law enforcement agencies to go after rice hoarders.

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