NBI to probe potential profiteering amid high domestic pork prices

MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation is set to probe the high retail prices of pork over possible profiteering by traders.

NBI Criminal Investigation Division Acting Chief Marvin de Jemil agreed on Monday to investigate potential profiteering in relation to the widening gap between farmgate and retail prices of pork.

During a House Committee on Agriculture & Food meeting, Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Asis Perez noted “some inefficiency in the market chain” due to this gap.

“Sobrang lumaki ‘yung gap between farmgate prices and market. Historically, we believe that it should be around P150… Ngayon po, P173 po ‘yung gap. So there is obviously some inefficiency in the market chain here lumalabas… Kumikita lang po ‘yung malaki somewhere in between,” Perez told lawmakers, adding this is a policy matter that must be examined.

The DA noted this widening gap despite the decrease in farmgate prices amid high supply.

The House panel’s chairperson Rep. Wilfrido Enverga then requested that the NBI launch a probe into possible profiteering.

“Noong araw pa namin naging issue ito, ‘yung sa profiteering, sa baboy. Can we request from NBI if there could be an investigation to be conducted with regards to profiteering?” Enverga asked.

De Jemil replied, “Yes, Mr. Chair. We can do that… We commit our services, Mr. Chair, to the cases on hand.”

“Medyo malaki kasi masyado na ‘yung nakikita nating pagsasamantala sa ating mga consumers din… Ang baba na ng farmgate,” Enverga said.

The NBI filed seven cases of agricultural smuggling involving economic sabotage, according to De Jemil.

“With regards po doon sa questions kung mayroon na pong na-file regarding relation of agri smuggling sa economic sabotage, the NBI already filed seven cases of violation of agricultural smuggling involving economic sabotage. One was upheld by the National Prosecution Service and is now pending before the Court of Tax Appeals. And the other pending on the prosecutor’s office… The products are tobacco products involving 3.5 billion,” De Jemil said. 

ABONO party-list Rep. Robert Estrella expressed concerns over how supposedly “too much importation” of pork could be leading to food safety threats.

Before this, DA-NMIS Office of the Executive Director Officer-in-Charge Fernando Lontoc said there is high inventory in commercial cold storage now, where expired food is kept.

Estrella also joined other lawmakers in asking to stop importation.

“So talaga nga dahil sa sobrang dami ng importation natin na frozen, panis ‘yung ibang frozen. So hindi ba dapat ngayon pa lang ‘yung sinabi na ni Congressman Briones, itigil na muna niya ‘yung import kasi baka matatambakan tayo ng puro panis na karne,” Estrella said.

“’Yan ang nakakabahala, Mr. Chairman. Aside from the fact that too much importation is hurting the hog industry, it is also going to be a threat to the food safety of what the consumers are getting,” Estrella added.