Rice hoarders face economic sabotage raps, DoJ chief warns
By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 14:12:00 04/03/2008
Filed Under: Crime, Law & Justice
MANILA, Philippines -- Rice hoarders could face charges of economic sabotage and could be meted life imprisonment if found guilty, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez warned Thursday, as the government stepped up its campaign to resolve the rice shortage in the country.
"There could be a possibility of economic sabotage here," Gonzalez told reporters in an interview, referring to those who might be found guilty of hoarding, said to be the cause of the rise in the price of rice.
Evidence was being gathered against unscrupulous traders, who would be charged with "economic sabotage," which is punishable by life imprisonment, Gonzalez said.
The DoJ has created the Anti-Rice Hoarding Task Force to run after the offenders and handle the inquest, preliminary investigation, and prosecution of all cases "relating to unlawful acts or omissions inimical to the preservation and protection of the country's rice supply."
Gonzalez said government agents had started swooping on illegal rice traders in the central city of Cebu and that 111 other traders in Luzon island were also on his list.
"We have specific instructions to the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] to be very rigid in looking for pieces of evidence, newspaper leads can also help," Gonzalez said.
"Our first initiative is to ask for the help of the Filipinos who can give us information because we are not here to witchhunt," Gonzalez said.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had ordered the raids to help avert a rice shortage, the staple food in this country of 90 million people, which could trigger social unrest.
On Wednesday, National Food Administration and police authorities raided a warehouse in Quezon City where rice was allegedly being kept.
Arroyo also appealed to Chinese businessmen to work with the government to stop the practice of hoarding to help stabilize the price of the Filipino staple, Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said the President discussed the matter with some Chinese business leaders in Malacañang Wednesday after attending the oath taking ceremony of the Chinese-Filipino Business Club.
With a report from AFP
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