PROFITEERING CASE. Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Anthony Fadullon (center) receives a copy of the charge sheet from the National Bureau of Investigation at the Department of Justice in Manila on Monday (Sept. 18, 2023) in connection with onion hoarding charges against six individuals. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla (left) also conducted a press conference. (PNA photo by Benjamin Pulta)
MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday recommended the filing of criminal charges for profiteering against six individuals in connection with the hoarding of onions.
In a press briefing, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Remulla said the charges arose from the sale of 8,000 bags of onion in December 2022 to the Food Terminals Inc. (FTI) in Taguig.
DOJ officials declined to name those in the NBI charge sheet so as not to preempt the prosecutors' evaluation.
Remulla had previously directed prosecutors to ensure a sufficient case buildup for a conviction before cases are filed.
Remulla said the NBI filing was in compliance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for law enforcement agencies to go after speculators and hoarders of onions, which saw prices soar to nearly PHP800 per kilo even as farm gate prices were only below PHP20 at the time.
"This is just the beginning of the cases to be filed. This is for hoarding and profiteering. Matatandaan na umabot ng PHP750 per kilo ang sibuyas. Ito na ngayon ang simula ng reklamo laban sa mga tao na kasabwat sa pagtataas ng presyo ng sibuyas (It will be recalled that the price of onion reached PHP750 per kilo. This is just the start of the charges to be filed against conspirators)," Remulla said.
"Hanggang economic sabotage ‘yan. Pero ito hoarding, profiteering and price manipulation (We are looking at a possible liability for economic sabotage. But in this particular case, it will be hoarding, profiteering and price manipulation)," he added. (PNA)
