Pork price manipulators, profiteers could face charges, warns Nograles

Unscrupulous businessmen taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic and the African swine fever emergency could face charges for economic sabotage, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Saturday.

Nograles made the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday approved the creation of a task group that will run after profiteers, hoarders, and smugglers of agricultural products. 

Headed by the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the task group on economic intelligence is composed of the following agencies:

•     Department of Justice (DOJ);
•     Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);
•     National Bureau of Investigation (NBI);
•     Philippine National Police (PNP);
•     Bureau of Customs (BOC);
•     Philippine Competition Commission (PCC);
•     National Security Council (NSC); and
•     National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA)

“Gusto habulin ni Pangulo at ng department of Agriculture ang [yaong] mga pinagsasamantalahan ang pinagdadaanan natin ngayong pandemiya. Kailangan talagang parusahan ang nasa likod nito,” the Cabinet secretary said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

Nograles, who chairs the Task Force on Zero Hunger, floated the possibility that those who manipulate pork prices could face economic sabotage charges.

“Kasi ang pagsasamantala ng presyo, ‘yung pagmanipula ng presyo ng baboy ay nakakaapekto sa inflation ng bansa,” he said.

“Maari po [economic sabotage] ‘pag nakita nating andun ang elements of the crime kasi very technical ang economic sabotage,” he added.

In a statement, the DA said the task group will initially go after unscrupulous traders, viajeros, and wholesalers who have unreasonably jacked up the prices of hogs and pork, hovering at more than P400 per kilogram that persisted even after the 2020 Christmas season and despite reduced demand.

Rising pork prices and other food commodities brought the January inflation rate to 4.2%, it’s fastest in 24 months when it clocked in at 4.4% in January 2019.

“Magiging aggravating circumstance ‘yung paggawa ng ganyang klaseng krimen habang may krisis. ‘Pag kinasuhan ‘yan at magpapataw ng penalty, punishment ang huwes ay kasama... itong ginawa nila ay pinagsamantalahan nila ang krisis na ito... ano ‘yung pinakamataas na penalty ‘yun ang ipapataw ng huwes,” Nograles said.

Likewise, Nograles said the DA has already submitted intelligence reports to the task group for verification. He, however, did not divulge further information on the Agriculture department’s intel report.

“Hintayin na lang natin ang magging resulta ng pag verify ng intel reports,” Nograles said.

Echoing the statement of Agriculture Secretary William Dar, he said pork prices should have gone down already after the holidays.

“Pero hind nag-stabilize tapos ginagamit na excuse ang ASF, eh meron nito na bago pa nag-COVID,” he said.

“May price manipulation na ginawa... Nag-take advantage na tumaas ang presyo dahil sa holiday... Sa Region 8, ang farmgate prices ng hog per kilo is P139 pinakamtaas P210 sa ibang parte ng Luzon. Ang average sa lahat ng regions P171. Kaya nakapagtataka pagdating sa retail ang taas,” Nograles pointed out.

To address high pork prices, Duterte earlier ordered the imposition of a price ceiling on pork and chicken for 60 days in Metro Manila. The price cap will be implemented starting February 8. —LBG, GMA News