Courtesy: Business Insider
JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla identified on Wednesday three (3) high-ranking officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and a group of civilians now facing charges in connection with last year’s exorbitant onion price surge.
At a news briefing, Remulla named Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista, Junibert de Sagun, the Officer-In-Charge of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) at the Department of Agriculture, and Gerald Glenn Panganiban, who held the role of Officer-In-Charge at the Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI).
Furthermore, civilian individuals from the Bonena Multi-purpose Cooperative, represented by Israel Reguyal, Mary Ann dela Rosa, and Victor dela Rosa Jimenez, are also implicated in the case.
Reguyal, dela Rosa, and Jimenez are set to face charges for hoarding under Section 5 (1) of RA 7581, also known as The Price Act, in addition to allegations of profiteering under Section 5 (2) of RA 7581, and falsification of private documents under Art. 272 of the Revised Penal Code.
The three government officials, on the other hand, are confronted with charges for violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, commonly referred to as The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Simultaneously, they are facing an administrative case for perceived inadequacy and incompetence in performing their official duties, as outlined in the Revised Administrative Code of 1987.
The graft charges may also be forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman for further action.
Remulla affirmed the continued investigation into onion smuggling, stressing that the pressure is mounting on the respondents.
He anticipated that warrants of arrest would be issued against the civilians once formal complaints are filed in court. “So tuloy tuloy po ang pag iimbestiga namin ng onion smuggling. And the noose tightening,” Remulla stated.
Meanwhile, Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon confirmed the conclusion of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) evaluation of complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). A regular preliminary investigation is expected to commence shortly.
“The cases have already been evaluated and now ready for filing for the conduct of preliminary investigation,” he said.
Remulla stressed that the DOJ’s decision was based on the evidence gathered by the NBI, along with “thousands of pages of testimony and documentation coming from the congressional committee investigation.”
The NBI’s recommendation stemmed from the significant increase in onion prices observed in the market in December, with rates soaring as high as P537 per kilogram despite a producer price ranging from only P8 to P15 per kilo.
