Roxas orders CIDG to probe entry of fake rice

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II has directed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police to help in the investigation on the entry of fake rice from China into the local market.

Roxas tapped the CIDG, which is led by Police Director Benjamin Magalong, to coordinate with the National Food Authority, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Health in probing the source of synthetic rice after it found its way to the Davao City market.

“We and the President just talked about the plastic found in rice being sold in Davao and based on his orders, I gave a guidance to the CIDG and the PNP to help in the investigation,” Roxas said at the sidelines of the distribution of 23 patrol jeeps at Camp Alagar in Misamis Oriental.

He said he wanted the CIDG to find out about the composition of fake rice, if there was indeed plastic mixed into it, where it was sold and the warehouse of its suppliers.

Roxas also asked Magalong’s team to establish the “supply and custody chain” of the fake rice.

Earlier, President Benigno Aquino III ordered the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation on the highly poisonous synthetic rice.

Fake rice is said to be made from potatoes, sweet potatoes, plastic, and materials that could be found in pipes and cables.

It has been reportedly sold in Asian countries like China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.