The Department of Justice (DOJ) is gearing up to construct an economic sabotage case against the individuals believed to be involved in an alleged onion cartel that caused a significant increase in prices last year.
During a press conference on Thursday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla announced that they are in the process of gathering evidence against those implicated in the cartel.
The Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, also known as Republic Act 10845, defines large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage.
The law considers the importation or sale of agricultural products worth between P1 million to P10 million in their raw or minimally processed state without the required import permit as a crime falling under economic sabotage.
Remulla mentioned that the same names that emerged during the House probe into the matter are surfacing in their own investigation.
The House probe exposed alleged collusion among various industry players to manipulate and control onion prices.
It was discovered that a corporation was formed, comprising competitors and stakeholders from different stages of the onion supply chain, including farming, cold storage, importation, and distribution.
The findings of the House probe were echoed by Remulla. In response to the directive of the President, the DOJ recently established an Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force.
However, Remulla added that the DOJ has been examining the issue for a considerable period.
Furthermore, the DOJ will assemble a dedicated team of prosecutors to handle cases related to agricultural smuggling.
Source: PhilNews24 | July 7, 2023
