THE Philippine National Police (PNP) will join the government’s campaign against rice smugglers and other illegal traders tagged as criminal manipulators of prices of basic commodities in the market.
PNP chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde said police operations are being mapped out with the guidance provided by President Duterte in his State of the Nation Address.
“We will aggressively support concerned government agencies in waging war against unscrupulous traders who willfully manipulate market forces for their own selfish gain that result in higher prices of basic and essential commodities, particularly rice and food products,” Albayalde said.
“These acts go beyond the economic issue of fair trade. This is a matter of food security that the state is duty-bound to protect and defend,” he added during a news briefing on Monday.
In ordering the police to go after illegal businessmen, the PNP chief also directed the PNP Directorate for Operations to review all of its existing operational plans, directives and issuances, including existing memoranda of agreement with the Department of Agriculture and National Food Authority (NFA).
The review is being taken in order to identify possible areas or room for improvement for the strengthened law-enforcement operations against “rice smuggling, hoarding, pilferage, profiteering and illegal trade practices involving rice and basic commodities.”
Last week Sen. Cynthia A. Villar called on the government to arrest and prosecute at least one illegal rice trader in order to show that it is serious in dealing with rice smuggling.
Albayalde said a “whole of government approach” is needed in order to decisively address the “chronic economic sabotage” that is being waged and sustained by “wealthy criminals whose protectors might be in the high places.”
Aside from revisiting its agreements with the agriculture department and with the NFA on its law-enforcement operations, Albayalde also ordered the PNP to closely coordinate and work with the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice and the Philippine Competition Commission in the concerted effort to bring down illegal rice traders and market manipulators.