Sotto to DTI: What happened to the price freeze?

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the price freeze imposed on essential items amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said unscrupulous retailers and sellers still continue to jack up the prices of their products.

In a statement on Thursday, Sotto reprimanded the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for supposedly not keeping its eye out on price freeze violations.

“Anong nangyari sa price freeze? Sa SRP (suggested retail price)? Bakit hindi ito nasusunod? Anong ginagawa ng DTI? Bakit hindi nila ito nabantayan,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

(What happened to the price freeze. To the SRP? Why aren’t these being followed? What is the DTI doing? Why haven’t they kept their eye out on this?)

In his third weekly report to Congress, President Rodrigo Duterte said authorities have so far arrested 635 individuals for hoarding, profiteering, and/or manipulation of prices of basic goods and medical supplies amid the crisis brought about by the pandemic.

The DTI earlier imposed a price freeze on food and essential products as a relief measure for families affected by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine and the COVID-19 crisis.

It also ordered supermarkets to strictly adhere to the SRP it has set on such items.

Sotto said reports his office has received included complaints that the price of rice has gone up to as high as P2,100 per cavan from its previous price of P1,800 per 50 kilos/sack.

Prices of canned goods, fruits and vegetables have also increased, according to reports reaching Sotto’s office

These basic commodities should be sold based on their selling price before the enhanced community quarantine, he said.

But traders and resellers are using the checkpoint and lockdown procedures as an excuse to jack up the cost when it has nothing to do with transportation or distribution, Sotto added.

“Inaabuso ng mga retailers at sellers ang mamamayan sa panahong dapat ay nagtutulungan tayong lahat para malampasan ang krisis na ito. Hindi ito tama,” the Senate President said.

(Retailers and sellers are abusing the public in times when we should be helping each other go through this crisis. This is not right).

“The DTI should be pro-active. It is important that the public is protected from abusive people during this difficult time,” Sotto said.

“Let us help our people by making sure that prices of basic commodities remain affordable especially now that incomes are at their minimum, if not totally cut,” he added.

According to the President’s third weekly report to Congress, the DTI conducted 2,415 price monitoring activities from April 2 to 9, 2020.

“During the same period, the DTI issued 150 Letters of Inquiry and 71 Notices of Violation, and launched a total of 888 operations in connection with its campaign on anti-hoarding/anti-profiteering,” Duterte reported.

/MUF