COVID-19 opportunism: NBI in Bohol arrests woman selling alcohol at overprice
TAGBILARAN CITY—National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents on Wednesday (April 15) arrested a woman believed to be selling alcohol here at an overprice.
Marie Grace Mangaron Lacaba, 30, a resident of Barangay Capayas in San Miguel town, has been posting on her Facebook account her offer to sell 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, a basic sanitizing medium which is under price control.
Buyers, she said on her posts, have to send her a private message to know the price of the alcohol.
After reading her post, the NBI hatched an operation against Lacaba, said lawyer Rennan Augustus Oliva, director of the Bohol office of the NBI.
An undercover agent ordered three bottles of alcohol from the suspect through her social media account.
During the meet-up, Lacaba gave only two bottles to the undercover agent since she had already disposed of her other products before the sting operation.
Article continues after this advertisementOliva said Lacaba sold the alcohol at P280 per liter, higher than the P137.50 ceiling price set by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Article continues after this advertisementLacaba told the NBI that she was just a retailer and that she bought the product for P250 per liter. She, however, didn’t disclose her source.
Oliva said Lacaba would be charged with violating Republic Act 7581 or the Price Act.
Those found violating the Price Act will be fined between P5,000 and P2 million and face imprisonment of between five and 15 years.
Edited by TSB
For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.
