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Friday, April 18, 2008
5 Chinese charged for 'rice hoarding'
MANILA -- Five Chinese nationals were slapped with criminal charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for alleged rice hoarding and price manipulation.
The suspects were identified as Pan Ziqiang Pua and his wife Lita Dy Pua, operators of Lucky Bros. Ricemill, and Anna Marie Velasco-Chua, a rice mill owner in Isabela, and her two workers Ting Ting Lee and Zeny Uy.
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Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. directed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Nestor Mantaring to determine whether the suspects were engaged in illegal shipment of grains as it is possible they transported the staple to China or Taiwan and sold them for much higher prices.
The DOJ secretary earlier said warehouse owners found hoarding rice in an effort to jack up prices can be charged with economic sabotage, a non-bailable offense.
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"Charges of economic sabotage could be filed against those who are hoarding large quantities of rice. It is part of the investigation that the NBI is doing now," said Gonzalez.
He said the NBI is looking into the possible involvement of some National Food Authority (NFA) personnel with rice hoarders.
Chua and the Puas are still at large. On the other hand, Lee and Uy, who were attending to the store of Uy in San Vicente, Ilagan, both failed to show their alien certificate registration to arresting law enforcers.
Based on the complaint filed by the NBI, Chua, Lee, and Uy violated a number of offenses including engaging in the business of palay (unhusked rice) trading without authorization and license from the NFA, violating the signboard provision of the Revised Rules and Regulation on Grains Business, lack of record book showing their grains transactions, and using non-prescribed price tags.
Recovered from their possession were 76 sacks of palay.
The Pua couple, on the other hand, is facing charges of illegal price manipulation through the commission of hoarding, cornering of grains, absence of required license, lack of signboard, failure to maintain record book for warehouse/grains transaction, and non-display of license.
Seized from their business establishment were 8,200 bags of palay, 3,500 bag of rice, and 500 bags of rice bran.
Mantaring, in an interview, said Pua clearly violated the country's anti-hoarding act considering the massive rice reserve.
He said since Pua did not have an NFA license, any rice found in his establishment will fall under hoarding. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (April 18, 2008 issue)
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