CCPO exec warns vs hoarding, overpricing of commodities

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) apprehended a vendor at the Carbon Market for selling 10 liters of drinking water for P300. | CDN Digital photo | Delta Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Policemen in Cebu City are working with government agencies to ensure the arrest of individuals who will hoard or sell commodities way beyond its supposed suggested retail price, says Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

Both offenses are punishable under Republic Act 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

“We will coordinate with concerned agencies kung kinsa gyud [and] on how to operate with this aron di ta ma technical…Naa mani mga procedure unsaon pagdakop ang violators. For us, sa PNP, less atoang knowledge ana that is why we have to coordinate with the concerned agencies so we will assist them considering nga gamay ra silag personnel,” Parilla said.

( We will coordinate with concerned government agencies on the conduct of operations to avoid technical concerns. There is an existing procedure on the arrest of violators. For the PNP, we have limited knowledge on how to go about this that is why we are coordinating with concerned government agencies and we will assist them considering their limitation in the number of personnel.)

Parilla said that at present, CCPO is in close coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) at City Hall.

READ: Crackdown on overpricing sellers in Cebu City starts

Last December 28, 2021, personnel of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) caught a Carbon Market vendor for selling 10 liters of drinking water, normally sold for P100 or less, for P300.

READ: Not a time for taking advantage, says viral Cebuano retailer

Parilla said they have also been getting reports on the hoarding and the sales of overpriced onions, but they continue to monitor and verify these complaints.

“So far atoang namonitor kining nga lamas. Ang usa kabuok sibuyas bombay tag 25 ang retail. According ngadtos Carbon Market, ang usa ka sako ana usually 1800 or1900 but karon 2,000 plus,” he added.

(So far, we have been monitoring the sales of spices. We were told that onions are now sold for P25 per piece on retail.  Sources at the Carbon Market told us that a sack of onions that used to be sold for P1, 800 to P1, 900 is now sold for over P2, 000.)

Parilla warned that they will enforce arrests as soon as they are able to verify the informations that they have been getting with the help of concerned government agencies.

He is also asking buyers to immediately report cases of overpricing for appropriate action. / dcb