Positibo ang pagtanggap ni House Speaker Martin Romualdez sa pagkakasa ng DOJ at NBI ng imbestigasyon laban sa smuggling, hoarding at price fixing ng sibuyas at iba pang agricultural commodities salig sa atas ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
“This is a welcome development, a decisive action that manifests the President’s resolve to clamp down on unscrupulous businessmen preying on hapless Filipino consumers and hampering his administration’s efforts to sustain the robust growth of our economy,” saad ni Speaker Romualdez
Magsisilbi aniyang babala ang direktiba ng presidente upang ihinto na ng mga mapagsamantalang negosyante ang maling gawain lalo at napaulat ang muling pagtaas sa presyo ng sibuyas.
“The President’s directive should be enough to deter further supply manipulation of agricultural products and help stabilize prices, especially amid reports that prices of onion are on the rise again,” Romualdez said.
Nakahanda aniya ang Kamara na ibahagi sa DOJ at NBI ang mga impormasyong nakalap sa kanilang pagdinig patungkol sa onion cartel.
Bukod dito, patuloy din aniyang magbabantay ang House of Representatives sa presyo ng bilihin bilang bahagi ng kanilang oversight function.
“We will continue to monitor prices, especially of basic staples like rice, vegetables, meat, onions, and garlic, to protect our people from hoarding, price manipulation, unreasonable price increases, and other practices in restraint of trade and which hamper competition. That is part of our oversight function. We have the appropriate tools to carry this out, including conducting follow-up hearings and summoning suspected hoarders, smugglers and cartel leaders if needed. We will not shirk from our duty to help our people,” dagdag ng House leader.
Ang atas ni PBBM para sa imbestigasyon ay salig sa memorandum na isinumite ni Marikina Rep. Stella na nagsasaad na may sapat na ebidensyang magpapatunay na kartel ang dahilan sa pagsipa ng presyo ng sibuyas noong nakaraang taon. | ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
