Cops to monitor defiant rice retailers in Central Visayas

COMPOSITE IMAGE: DANIELLA MARIE AGACER FROM INQ PHOTO/OFFICE OF THE SENATE PRESIDENT MIGS ZUBIRI

CEBU CITY — Police officers in Central Visayas will monitor rice retailers in Cebu. Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor to ensure compliance with the price cap.

Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of the Central Visayas police, said the regional headquarters instructed all police units to help monitor the market and ensure that Executive Order (EO) No. 39 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is being followed.

The police cautioned rice retailers against violating the rice price ceiling, saying they would not hesitate to file charges against the violators, said Pelare.

“We will have (police) personnel that will go to markets to check retailers. We will also coordinate with DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) as they are also the ones to lead the monitoring,” Pelare told reporters on Thursday, September 7.

READ: Compliance with rice price ceiling still low

Violators of EO No. 39, he said, would face imprisonment of one to 10 years and a fine of P5,000 to P1 million as determined by the court.

“There’s a law penalizing those who violate the rice price cap. If we can see or receive a report, we will investigate, then we will arrest people and file charges,” Pelare added.

Pelare urged the public to report any violation of the rice price cap to the police through their hotlines.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered the formation of the Rice Price Monitoring Task Force to fully implement EO No. 39, while he was in Vladivostok, Russia.

Rama asked the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the DTI to coordinate with city officials in laying down parameters for implementing the EO No. 39.

READ: Double-edged sword: The costs of controlling rice prices

Ma. Elena Arbon, DTI-Central Visayas regional director, on Wednesday said they were conducting profiling of rice retailers in Cebu and other parts of the region, amid the implementation of EO No. 39.

The national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would help rice retailers who may be affected by President Marcos’ order.

In Negros Occidental, several retailers in the provincial capital of Bacolod City were now selling rice at P45 per kilo in compliance with the price ceiling .

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez visited the Burgos and Libertad public markets to check on the rice prices on Wednesday.

READ: Bongbong Marcos: Report sellers defying rice price caps

The city government was waiting for the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for EO No. 39 that mandates the price cap for regular milled rice at P41 per kilo and for well-milled rice at P45 per kilo.

Based on EO No. 39, the city government has a basis to inspect and compel rice retailers to comply with the directive, said City Legal Officer Carlos Romeo Ting Jr.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose, for his part, said retailers were affected by the implementation of the price cap as they already invested in higher priced rice.

“If indeed the national government can take care of the retailers, then everything is all good,” Lacson said.

READ: Biz group urges lifting of rice price cap after 2 to 3 weeks

“I understand this is a short term solution and eventually prices will normalize,” he added.

The provincial government, he continued, can assist the DTI in the monitoring of the implementation of EO No. 39.

“This is an executive order of the President and I think the lead agency that should really be watching over this is the DTI,” Lacson said.