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Jinggoy Hits Petty Crackdown Against Rice Hoarders
Jinggoy Journal - Volume 2 Issue 7 (July 2008)
Posted: July 27th, 2008 @ 11:33pm
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada demanded from Malacañang to stop playing lip service and seriously implement the crackdown against rice hoarders who manipulate prices.
There were reports that the price of commercial rice in Mindanao, the country's bread basket, had reached as high as P51 a kilo while in other areas rice prices increase almost daily.
The National Statistics Office (NSO) said food prices have increased by an average of twelve percent (12%) in April compared with only 8.4 percent in March.
Asian Development Bank economist Hyun Son Some estimates that 2.3 million more Filipinos fall into poverty for every 10-percent increase in food prices.
Hyun said a study showed that if the price of rice increases by the same rate, 660,000 citizens are expected to swell the ranks of the poor.
Estrada said the high price of rice and other food items brought about by the soaring prices of gasoline, was aggravated by rice hoarders and price manipulators.
He said the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have failed to neutralize rice hoarders that have continued manipulating the prices of grains and other basic commodities.
"Puro na lang announcement ng crackdown pero patuloy pa rin ang mga illegal activites ng mga rice hoarders," Estrada said.
He said the worsening poverty and the soaring food prices have forced more Filipinos to work abroad to earn more and support their families in the Philippines.
Estrada, concurrent chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, and of the joint congressional oversight committee on labor and employment, said the administration should do more to stop the exodus of Filipinos to work in foreign countries.
"The people needs action not just promises to stop rice hoarders and unscrupulous traders," Estrada added.
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