DOJ forms task force vs price fixing, supply manipulation

The Department of Justice on Friday created a task force to stop cartels from manipulating supplies and price fixing of goods such as onions and garlic.

In a statement, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima also urged the Supreme Court to establish courts specializing on competition cases.

“Effective anti-cartel enforcement requires a dedicated unit equipped with the necessary tools and capacity to handle the complex nature of competition cases,” De Lima said.

“We also recommended to the Supreme Court the designation of specialized courts to hear and decide competition cases,” she said.

The task force will be composed of five members from the DOJ’s National Prosecution Service (NPS), Office of the Chief State Counsel and Office for Competition.

The task force’s focus is on price fixing, output restriction, market allocation, bid-rigging and similar anti-competitive agreements.

The DOJ said the “use of investigative strategies and techniques rounded on international best practices is key to enforcement.”

On the other hand, Congress already ratified the Philippine Competition Act that penalizes “bad market behavior and abuse of dominant position.” AU