DOJ set to file graft raps vs. 3 DA execs over onion prices

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to file graft complaints against three officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the alleged manipulation of onion prices in 2022.

At a media briefing, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the officials are Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista, Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service officer-in-charge Junibert de Sagun, and Bureau of Plant Industry officer-in-charge Gerald Glenn Panganiban.

Aside from administrative cases, the three will face complaints for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The information was confirmed by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon.

“The graft charges will be referred to OMB for their conduct of PI,” Fadullon said in a message to GMA News Online.

“Referred and formal complaint,” he later added.

GMA News Online has sought comment from the DA officials named.

"Manipulation"

In September, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recommended the filing of complaints against several individuals over the manipulation of prices.

Justice Undersecretary Geronimo Sy, the head of the investigation task group on agri-smuggling, said the possible complaint stemmed from a private cooperative selling onions for over P500 per kilo in December 2022.

“And this is now the basis for hoarding and profiteering. Kasi ang sabi daw wala na silang stocks, wala nang available, pero nung kinontrata at P500 plus, nagkakaroon ng stocks,” Sy had said.

(And this is now the basis for hoarding and profiteering. Because they initially said there were no stocks, that there was nothing available, but when contracted at P500 plus, they suddenly had some.])

“At profiteering because ang farm gate prices ng onion, ‘yung cost of production, is from P8 to P15 lang. Pero pag benta P537… So ‘yun ‘yung twin crimes na tinatawag sa hoarding and profiteering,” he added.

(Profiteering because the farm gate prices of onion, the cost of production, is from only between P8 to P15. But it was sold for P537. So that is the twin crimes of hoarding and profiteering.)

Prices up

Last year, the prices per kilo of onions ranged from P500 to P720 in some markets.

It increased from P140 on September, P280 on November, P300 on December 12 to 16, P380 on December 19 to 23, and P720 on December 28

On January, the DA gave the green light for the importation of 21,060 metric tons of onions to fill a supply gap and arrest the continuous spike in the price of the commodity in the market.

The imports consisted of 3,960 metric tons of fresh yellow onions and 17,000 metric tons of fresh red onions.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. had said “our government had no choice but to import,” given the gap between production and the demand for onions in the Philippines.

Probe continues

Meanwhile, according to Remulla, their investigation will continue.

“The noose is tightening. We expect warrants of arrest to be— once we file these in the courts. Kasi fina-finalize na ‘yung form ng complaint at kino-consolidate,” Remulla said.

“We’re talking about thousands of pages of testimony and documentation coming from the congressional committee, submitted officially through the congressional committee. We expect this to be properly acted upon by the courts once filed,” he added. —NB, GMA Integrated News