The Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines, Inc. (AGAP) has urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to take a stronger stance against hoarders of rice and other agricultural products. This call follows the NBI's recent filing of charges against four individuals involved in hoarding. AGAP commended the NBI’s raid on a rice warehouse in Bocaue, Bulacan, conducted on 10 February, and praised the filing of charges against the warehouse manager, two cashiers, and an inventory officer.

However, AGAP Rep. Nicanor “Nick” Briones emphasized that the warehouse owners should also face charges under Republic Act (RA) No. 12022, the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act. This law imposes a lifetime imprisonment and non-bailable penalty for such offenses. Briones stressed that it was not enough for only the warehouse employees to be charged with hoarding, adulteration, profiteering, untruthful labeling, and economic sabotage.

On Thursday, the four arrested individuals underwent inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice (DoJ). Additionally, the warehouse’s Filipino owner, Elizabeth Pineda, was named in the complaint but remains at large. According to the NBI and the Department of Agriculture (DA), Pineda is the registered owner of the warehouse, as evidenced by the sanitary permit and certification of annual inspection issued by the Bocaue district.

Briones also highlighted that the ongoing investigations are part of a larger effort to inspect and regulate warehouses that might be exploiting consumers by hoarding and inflating the price of rice. He pointed out that rice prices should have dropped by P14 per kilo, given a 20 percent tariff reduction and a $400 drop in the world market price.

The raid revealed that the warehouse was stockpiling mixed and old rice to sell at inflated prices.

Briones also called for the government to implement a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for imported pork before addressing local pork prices. He argued that this would help local hog raisers, who suffered losses from the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak last year, recover. He noted that the increase in pork prices could also be attributed to the high demand due to numerous fiestas and the election period.

Briones reiterated the need for full enforcement of existing laws and suggested that if there is an enforcement group in place, the Anti-Economic Sabotage Act could be implemented immediately to catch smugglers, hoarders, and profiteers.