National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde ordered on Monday police intelligence operatives and members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (IDG) to arrest hoarders and violators of the price freeze imposed on basic commodities in areas that are under state of calamity as a result of incessant monsoon rains and torrential flooding.
The directive was issued by Albayalde as cities and municipalities in Metro Manila and Rizal and in Central, Southern and Northern Luzon reel from the effects of the torrential rains and heavy flooding that have forced the evacuation of thousands of families over the past days.
“In the aftermath of massive flooding in Luzon, the Philippine National Police…will also assist the Department of Trade and Industry and local government units in enforcing a price freeze on basic commodities in areas under state of calamity to prevent profiteering, hoarding and illegal acts of price manipulation,” the PNP chief said at a news briefing on Monday.
“This augurs well with ongoing PNP efforts in support of the national policy on food security and consumer protection. I have directed our unit commanders in these calamity areas to take the initiative in coordinating with local DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] offices to ensure we effectively protect the interests of the general public,” he added.
As of Monday, a state of calamity has been declared in the entire province of Cavite, in the cities of Marikina, San Mateo, Olongapo and Balanga and in some municipalities in Bataan, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac.
“I have directed our unit commanders in these calamity areas to take the initiative in coordinating with local DTI offices to ensure we effectively protect the interests of the general public,” Albayalde said.
“I am directing the CIDG and the police intelligence units to closely assist in the enforcement of the price freeze and take appropriate action in support of [the] DTI,” he added.
The PNP chief said that Republic Act 7581, or the Price Act of 1992 mandates a minimum of a 60-day price freeze on basic and essential commodities or automatic price control upon declaration of state of calamity due to “major damages to property, disruption of means of livelihood, roads and normal way of life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or human-induced hazard in disaster-stricken areas.”
Thousands of affected families in Rizal, Metro Manila and in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Bataan, Zambales and in Northern Luzon and Southern Luzon have sought shelters in government-run evacuation centers due to massive flooding brought by torrential rains over the weekend.
The PNP has deployed at least 4,058 personnel for assistance in flood-stricken and other areas affected by monsoon rains and has mounted 591 for search and rescue (SAR) activities. It has also put on standby another 3,467 personnel for SAR operations.
While heavy rains appeared to have ceased in some areas, including in Metro Manila and Rizal, flooding, however, rose and persisted in bigger areas in Central and Northern Luzon as most dams in the uplands dams have released excess water, prompting affected families to remain in evacuation centers.
In Pampanga alone, at least 128 barangays have been reported to be under water.
In San Mateo, Rizal, which declared a state of calamity on Monday, almost 80 percent of the city is flooded, affecting at least 5,680 families or 27,493 people. The residents blamed the heavy flooding to the presence of quarry sites in the city and in the neighboring municipality of Rodriguez.
In Marikina City, more than 21,000 individuals remained in government-run shelters. Several evacuees were also reported in Bagong Silangan, Quezon City, and at the Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila.
So far, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported at least two fatalities.