House to resume probe on high food prices

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THE House of Representatives will continue to zero in on the exercise of its oversight functions to address the causes of soaring food and electricity costs as Congress resumes session today following the Christmas break.

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga said the quinta committee, which is led by the House Committee on Ways and Means, will resume on Wednesday its investigation into agricultural smuggling, hoarding and price manipulation of cartels which have been identified as key factors in driving food inflation.

“Patuloy nating palalakasin ang kapangyarihan ng oversight ng Kamara para tugisin ang mga iregularidad na gawain na nagpapahirap sa ating mga kababayan. Hindi natin hahayaang magpatuloy ang mga maling practice na nagdudulot ng mataas na presyo ng pagkain at kuryente (We’ll continue to strengthen the House’s oversight to go after illegal activities that are making life more difficult for our people. We cannot allow the wrong practices that have been causing the costs of food and electricity to rise),” Gonzales said.

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Speaker Martin Romualdez announced last year that the House will shift its focus from legislation to oversight function after having passed President Marcos Jr.’s legislative priorities.

Romualdez vowed to focus the chamber’s investigations to the persistent high prices of rice and other essential commodities and formed the quinta committee to handle the inquiries.

Aside from the Committee on Ways and Means, the quinta panel, or the “Supercommittee on Cheap Food,” is joined by the House Committees on Trade and Industry, Agriculture and Food, Social Services, and the Special Committee on Food Security.

The quinta panel was created to address issues in the country’s food supply chain, including price manipulation, smuggling, and hunger but it will also look into the high electricity rates, particularly the P206 billion expenses of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) which the Energy Regulatory Commission disallowed last year.

The quinta panel chaired by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda earlier discovered that rice importers and traders are still in cahoots to manipulate the prices of rice despite an oversupply and President Marcos Jr.’s order to reduce import tariffs.

Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo has said importers and traders have profited as much as P13 billion after rice import tariffs were slashed from 35 percent to 15 percent under Executive Order (EO) No. 62 last June.

“We are uncovering the mechanisms that allow cartels to thrive, and the House is determined to dismantle these networks of greed,” Gonzales said. “This probe is not just about accountability. It is about upholding human rights and protecting our national interests,” he also said.

Romualdez has directed the five-committee body to expedite legislation, including amendments to strengthen the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 and urged the Department of Justice and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to hold perpetrators accountable.

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