Speaker backs onion retail price plan

By Maricel V. Cruz

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday welcomed the move of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to impose a suggested retail price (SRP) for onions to protect consumers from profiteers and price manipulators as he also pressed for a crackdown against the onion cartel.

Earlier a ranking official of the DA said the department will likely start Tuesday, or within this week, the implementation of an SRP of P150 per kilo for red onions and P140 per kilo for white onions with a warning that refusal to comply could mean prosecution under appropriate charges.

“The imposition of a Suggested Retail Price for onions, particularly now that market prices are on the uptrend anew, will shield our consumers from unconscionably high prices,” Romualdez said.

“But extreme care should be taken to ensure that in the imposition of the SRP, the interest of stakeholders such as the consumers, the traders, the market vendors, and especially our onion farmers are suitably protected,” he added. Still, Romualdez believes the imposition of the SRP alone would not address the recurring problem of wild price fluctuations of onion.

“As the hearings of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food have indicated, dismantling the onion cartel is a key element in ensuring the stable price of this commodity. Unless we destroy this cartel, this problem will haunt us again and again in the future,” he stressed.

CORDIAL MEETING.

Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran pays a courtesy call on Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez at the House of Representatives Monday afternoon. Ver Noveno

Earlier, Romualdez urged authorities like the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine Competition Commission, and the DA to work together and pursue the leads obtained in the congressional hearings to build an airtight case against the onion cartel.

“Putting members of this cartel behind bars will send the unmistakable message that the government will not tolerate any unfair trade practices that prey on the hapless consumer and farmers," Romualdez said. At the same time, Romualdez called for appropriate government assistance and incentives for farmers—particularly those growing onions—to encourage additional production and ensure ample supply.

BOC joins forces with US Embassy to stop smuggling

By Julito G. Rada

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has joined forces with the US Embassy to combat smuggling and enhance customs expertise.

The BOC and the US Embassy-Manila Special Operations Command Pacific INDOPACOM Augmentation and Philippines Information Team convened on May 18, 2023, for a consultative meeting.

The meeting aims to explore potential areas of cooperation, intensify border control, and strengthen the relationship between the two agencies.

During the meeting, officials from both agencies discussed various topics, including cooperation opportunities in law enforcement, maritime operations, investigations, capacity building, and advanced technology implementation.

welcomed by Army chief of staff Maj. Gen.

Potenciano C. Camba last May 20.

“During the courtesy call, Gen. Hokanson stated the willingness of the US National Guard Bureau to conduct bilateral engagements with the PA especially on upgrading the humanitarian response to disasters and national emergencies,” Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement Sunday night.

Hokanson also visited the Philippines to observe the State Partnership Program of the country with the National Guard counterparts in Guam and Hawaii.

“The formal visit also discussed the reserve force development and the best practices in the management of the reserve component of the two countries,” the PA spokesperson noted.

DOJ vows to uphold rights of persons with HIV, AIDS

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has vowed to continue to uphold the rights of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

“We have championed their rights,” said Deputy State Prosecutor Margaret Castillo-Padilla, DOJ advocate for people living with HIV (PLHIV).

“We have supported activities and programs that are meant to break the stigma and discrimination against PLHIV and fostered partnership with other government agencies and civil society organizations to ensure that their civil, social, political and economic rights are protected,” Padilla added.

According to Padilla, the DOJ’s stand during the annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial held at the DOJ on Monday morning, May 22.

“The DOJ is also the first government agency to have adopted its own workplace policy,” she noted.

The DOJ official recalled that in 2021, then justice secretary and now Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra issued Department Order (DO) No. 107, the Workplace Policy and Education Program on HIV and AIDS. Rey E. Requejo

Ejercito: Automation will be needed to fight, end corruption at Customs

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S ENATOR Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday said modernizing and automating the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will address corruption in the agency. He said this will also reduce “human discretion” in the BOC’s critical operations and assessments.

In a media interview, Ejercito, one of the principal authors of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Law, said automation will prevent assessment officers from manipulating the value of goods entering the country.

AIDS CANDLELIGHT MEMORIAL.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Brigido Dulay led the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial held at the DOJ headquarters on May 22 to commemorate the people who have lost their lives to HIV-related complications.

Norman Cruz

“They cannot automate and since their computerization was delayed, there will be human discretion,” he said. “If the BOC is not computerized, if there’s human discretion, if there were erasures, we know what happened,” he said.

The lawmaker from San Juan said he has received reports that the assessed value of a given product entering the country would sometimes differ across ports.

Ejercito called on the national government to resume and expedite the BOC’s modernization program to address these discrepancies in the assessment of goods entering the country.

Additionally, the meeting addressed the provision of technical expertise and skills building that the US Embassy intends to extend to the BOC Enforcement and Security Service (BOC-ESS).

The BOC was represented by Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, Deputy Commissioner Teddy aval, division chiefs, heads of ESS, the Financial Management Office, the External Affairs Office, and the Interim Training Development Division.

From the US Embassy, Jason Perez, officerin-charge of Special Operations Command Pacific, and Patrick Braun, Chief of the Information Support Team, attended the meeting. Rubio said the establishment of a strong collaboration between the Customs and the US Embassy will undoubtedly enhance the capabilities and technical know-how of Customs personnel.

“This will create opportunities to intensify border protection and combat smuggling further,” Rubio said.