Authorities arrested two people and seized alleged unregistered cooking oil worth more than P1.5 million in Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

According to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the suspects - the owner of the establishment and her employee - were allegedly caught in the act of selling and trading unregistered cooking oil.

CIDG said that the suspects may face charges for violation of the Food and Drugs Administration Act of 2009 (RA 9711), Consumer Act of the Philippines (RA 7394), and Food Safety Act of 2013 (RA 10611).

CIDG director, Major General Robert Morico II, added that the manufacture, importation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer of health and food products without the required registration and authorization from FDA is prohibited under RA 9711.

“As these food products have not undergone assessment by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), their safety and quality cannot be assured,” CIDG said.

Authorities urged the public to be cautious and not buy cooking oil that is unlabeled, suspiciously cheap, or lacks an FDA Registration Number.

“The CIDG assures the public that it is committed in enforcing all the laws to protect all consumers and unforgiving to all violators. “We are not just seizing products; we are going after the people who think they can bypass our safety laws. Selling unregistered oil isn't just a business violation—it is a direct threat to public health, and we will treat it with the gravity it deserves,” Morico said.