Arroyo to NFA: Go strong vs rice hoarders in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday directed the National Food Authority (NFA) to go strong against those who will be "caught or suspected of hoarding" which has led to the unusually high rice prices in Mindanao. This, as the President directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to assist the NFA in its investigaiton. In a statement, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Lorelei Fajardo said those who be caught hoarding rice as a result of the NFA investigation "will be dealth with severely." "The President has ordered the immediate investigation by the NFA of alleged hoarding of rice in mindanao. The NFA is being assisted by the NBI," Fajardo said. "Anyone caught or suspected of hoarding will be dealt with severely, no one will be spared, the administration is committed to protect the interest of the consuming public," she added. Earlier in the day, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sought an investigation into the high rice prices in Mindanao, saying a massive rice hoarding may be behind the suspicious price elevation in the region. DSWD noted that as of Monday commercial rice sells as high as P51 a kilo in Mindanao, while prices of similar rice brand sells at P30 a kilo in Metro Manila. Davao City residents have also expressed fears of prices reaching P60-per-kilo levels, citing the limited NFA rice supply in the region. The NFA said it is working to make available government-subsidized rice in more areas in Mindanao within the day, to address the elevated prices of commercial rice in the region. - GMANews.TV