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HINDI limitado sa imported rice ang kontrolado ng sindikato sa likod ng bentahan ng bigas sa merkado, ayon kay Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo.
Sa pagdinig ng quinta committee ng Kamara, hayagang ibinisto ni Quimbo ang manipulasyon maging sa palay na ani ng mga lokal na magsasaka sa pagnanais na tiyakin ang kontrol sa bentahan ng bigas sa mga pamilihan.
Ito rin aniya ang dahilan kung bakit nananatiling mataas ang presyo ng bigas saan mang bahagi ng bansa.
Hirit ng bagong hirang na chairperson ng House Committee on Appropriations, mas malalim na congressional inquiry sa sabwatan at price manipulation sa industriya ng bigas.
Sa isang pagbabalik-tanaw, ibinahagi ng lady solon ang pagsisiyasat ng House Committee on Agriculture and Food, na pinamumunuan ni Quezon 1st District Rep. Mark Enverga, tungkol sa onion cartel – kung saan lumalabas na iisa lamang ang kumokontrol ng local at imported supply.
“Let’s just not dismiss hastily the possibility na merong cartel, may collusion, may magic na nangyayari sa presyo ng bigas at may pagsasabwatan na ang pwedeng involved diyan ay ang mga importers,” wika ng Marikina City lawmaker.
“Kung P36 ang landed cost ng importers, bakit hindi natin nakikita ang P36 rice in the market? That’s the mystery. Something is happening,” dugtong niya.
Nang usisain ni Quimbo, ibinahagi rin ni Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) Enforcement Office Director Christian Loren Delos Santos ang resulta ng isinagawang imbestigasyon.
“We see the areas with deficiencies are also the places with high imports and the prices are not moving down, so we look into those importers in those areas,” saad pa ng PCC official.
Bunsod nito, nabuo ang pagdududa ni Quimbo na maaaring gaya ng nabunyag na onion cartel sa bansa, ang mga rice trader din ang siyang kumokontrol sa imported rice at at maging sa bigas mula sa palay na ani ng mga lokal na magsasaka.
“If the importing entity is also the one that purchases the local produce, then they now control both local and imported, which was what we found with the onion cartel,” ayon pa kay Quimbo.
Sa panig ni Salceda, sinabi nito na iniimbestigahan na ng Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) ang kita ng ilang rice importers.
Sa panig ni Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega, mariin niyang kinastigo ang naging paglapit nina Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab at Atty. Vic Rodriguez sa high tribunal para kuwestunin ang 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“The petition filed by Rep. Isidro Ungab, Atty. Vic Rodriguez, and their allies before the Supreme Court questioning provisions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) is more than just a legal maneuver – it is a calculated political gambit that exposes their intent to obstruct progress and destabilize the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” tahasang sabi ng ranking House official.
“Let us not mince words: this petition is an effort to undo the decision of Congress to cut P1.3 billion from the budget of the Office of the Vice President, a decision rooted in Congress’s constitutional duty to ensure that public funds are judiciously allocated,” dagdag pa niya.
“The motives behind this petition are suspect, to say the least. This is not just about budgetary provisions – it is about political leverage,” sambit din niya.
Babala ni Ortega, ang tunay na motibo ng kampo ng dating pangulo ay pabagsakin ang Marcos administration sa hangarin mailuklok sa posisyon si Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio,
“The narrative being constructed here is clear: sow doubt about the legitimacy of the 2025 GAA, delay its implementation and weaken the administration. It is difficult to ignore the possibility that these moves are part of a broader scheme to undermine President Marcos and position Vice President Sara Duterte for an eventual takeover,” pahabol pa ng La Union lawmaker. (ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II)
