QUEZON CITY, Philippines – A government team inspecting warehouses suspected to be used in hoarding activities today discovered an appalling modus operandi: rice imported from Thailand are mixed with broken rice intended for animal feeds then sold to the market as premium Sinandomeng rice.
The new modus was discovered when Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, accompanied by officials of the PNP Criminal Investigation Group, Bulacan local officials, agents from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, National Food Authority and the Bureau of Customs, personally inspected the Purefeeds Corporation warehouse located at the First Industrial Center in Barangay Tikay, Malolos City, at noon today.
Roxas said the owners of Purefeeds Corp. could be held criminally liable for violations of Philippine Trade laws.
“May violation sila sa NFA, sa Bureau of Animal Industry, sa Bureau of Internal Revenue at maging sa Bureau of Customs,” the DILG chief said.
“The broken rice residue intended for animal feeds came from Vietnam and was being mixed with the Blue Diamond rice imported from Thailand, and then repacked and being sold as “Golden Bee” Premium Sinandomeng rice,” he pointed out.
Roxas said the operations of the rice mill will be temporary suspended while appropriate charges are being readied against the Purefeeds Corp, which is owned by a certain Jomerito Soliman.
The raid at the Purefeeds warehouse was the 18th operations conducted by the CIDG and NFA. Of the 18 raids, Roxas said only four were found to be engaged in illicit trading of rice.
Roxas said that under Republic Act No. 7581, or the Price Act, the PNP and other law enforcement units may be deputized to monitor and inspect warehouses for possible hoarding and diversion of NFA rice.
“Hindi natin papayagang umiral ang panloloko ng mga negosyante sa ating mga kababayan. Hindi natin sila tatantanan at hindi natin papayagan na makakain ng ganito ang ating mga mamamayan ,” Roxas said, referring to the adulterated rice.
During the inspection, the government team discovered inside the warehouse at least 32,000 sacks of assorted broken rice intended for animal feed that were imported in Vietnam and regular rice imported from Thailand.
Senior Supt. Ferdinand Divina, Bulacan PNP acting director, said two trucks loaded with 900 sacks of the adulterated rice were prevented from leaving the warehouse.
According to NFA Administrator Arthur S. Juan, they will investigate why the two trucks seized at Purefeeds warehouse bore the logo of NFA complete with license number.
The Marilao warehouse was one of the 18 warehouses inspected by the PNP-CIDG since Thursday (July 3), when Roxas directed the PNP to assist government agencies in the investigation and filing of cases against those behind the artificial increase in the prices of essential commodities such as rice, garlic, ginger, pork, chicken, and milk.
The series of inspection led to the discovery of 220,000 bags of rice found stacked in the warehouses, 80,000 of which were found to be in violation of anti-hoarding laws.
Two of the warehouses which were personally inspected by Roxas and Magalong early Sunday (July 6) morning, yielded 14,996 bags of NFA rice and 4,580 bags of commercial rice.
During inspection of Warehouse #A1 and #A2, in JY & Son Compound., Km. 23, West Service Road., Cupang, Muntinlupa City, a commercial rice milling machine believed to be used for polishing inferior quality and old stock rice was also discovered.
