By Bernama,
Manila : Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday pledged to lead the fight against rice price paddling as the government announced criminal complaints filed against 13 rice hoarders, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.
Speaking on a meeting with officials of National Price Coordinating Council, Arroyo said she was leading the charge to crack down on any form of corruption by public or private persons who would divert supplies or pervert rice prices.
“Anyone caught stealing rice from the people must be thrown in jail,” she said.
Arroyo said the authority has already taken steps to prevent Filipinos, especially the poor, being held hostages to tightened rice supplies by corrupt practices of “unscrupulous traders with their accomplices in the bureaucracy.”
Arroyo’s pledge came as the National Bureau of Investigation filed criminal complaints against 13 rice traders for their suspected involvement in “illegal price manipulation through hoarding” and their violation of grains business rules.
Other details of the complaints are not publised but Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said the biggest penalty to be meted out for economic sabotage without invoking aggravating circumstances is 50 years in jail.
“The government is sparing no effort to ensure that our supplies of rice get from the source to the tables of Filipinos throughout our nation,” Arroyo said.
“Those who seek to take advantage of our people will be stopped,” she added.
The Philippines, one of the world’s major consumers and importers of rice, is caught in the middle of a worsening global rice supply shortage. Market prices of rice, the staple of 90 million Filipinos, have grown about one third since the end of 2007 and is expected to rise if international supplies tighten.
The government expects domestic rice production to top 17.32 million metric tons for 2008 but admits the country still needs to import 2.2 million metric tons to feed its people on the backdrop of major Asian rice producers curtailing export due to slim harvest.
“The global rise in the price of basic commodities like fuel and rice is putting a strain on all hardworking Filipinos, particularly on our very poor,” Arroyo said, adding that however the public need not panic over rice crisis as “supply is secure for the foreseeable future.”
She said the country’s grain importing agency has contracted 1. 2 million metric tonnes of rice from December 2007 to March 2008 bidding, half of the contracted rice has arrived while another 96,600 metric tonnes of rice is on the way. And the National Food Authority (NFA) is expected to bid for additional rice stock on May 2nd to ensure the supply for June, July and August.