BUREAU of Customs (BOC) agents, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture (DA), have discovered more than P661 million worth of smuggled rice stored at nine warehouses in the towns of Bocaue and Balagtas in Bulacan.
The raid was conducted following intelligence information saying significant volumes of the cereal were stashed at the Bulacan.
Subsequent investigation disclosed that the stocks were apparently smuggled as the owners or their representatives could not show proof of correct tax payments.
For the sake of transparency and to ensure fairness and due process, the BOC talked with the warehouse owners was held on Thursday (Dec. 18).
The owners were given 15 days to submit pertinent documents, notably proof of duty and tax payments, failure of which would necessitate filing of appropriate charges against them in court.
A House of Representatives committee earlier raised concerns over a conspiracy theory among major rice importers and traders to manipulate rice prices regardless of oversupply and reduced import tariffs under Executive Order (EO) 62.
During a hearing of the House "Murang Pagkain Supercommittee" chaired by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, the panel presented initial findings indicating potential collusion among the rice importers who were also controlling the retail prices.
“The committee focused on top importers because there were clear signs of speculation in the rice import market, such as swelling commercial inventories, delays in withdrawals by importers, and imports surpassing USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) projections,” Salceda said.
The panel identified the top 10 importers controlling 36 percent of total rice imports, pointing to significant market concentration.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez also called for the creation of a “mega government task force” to run after rice price manipulators and unscrupulous traders.
“A call to immediate action is needed to force a decrease in rice prices for the benefit of the Filipino consumer,” Romualdez said.
