Rice or corn hoarding to be classified as economic sabotage

To help promote public welfare and ensure national food security, Rep. Mark
Llandro Mendoza (4
th
District, atan!as" insists that rice and corn hoardin! and
profiteerin! durin! calamities or emer!encies should be declared crimes of economic
sabota!e.
#Rice and corn hoardin! and profiteerin! further a!!ra$ate the destitute situations
of the $ictims in calamity%stricken areas, thus, the proposed &'nti%Rice or (orn )oardin!
and *rofiteerin! 'ct+ contained in ) 4,-.,/ Mendoza, who is also author of ) 4,-0
which seeks to classify rice smu!!lin! as economic sabota!e, said.
) 4,-., entitled #'n 'ct considerin! rice and corn hoardin! and profiteerin!
durin! or on the occasion of any calamity or emer!ency declared as such by the *resident
as e1ui$alent to economic sabota!e, partly amendin! for the purpose Republic 'ct 2o.
.34-, otherwise known as The *rice 'ct, and for other purposes,/ has been referred to the
(ommittee 5ustice for proper action.
Mendoza noted that while the country lar!ely produces rice and corn, #we hi!hly
depend on importation to ade1uately meet the national re1uirement for these staple
products./
The insufficient production of rice and corn in the country is further e6acerbated by
ille!al acti$ities of some unscrupulous traders and dealers en!a!e in hoardin! to
manipulate market prices at the e6pense of public economic welfare, the lawmaker said.
7n the matter of stock in$entory, ) 4,-. pro$ides #8.that in the case of rice or
corn, a person+s usual in$entory thereof shall be reckoned from the month immediately
precedin! before the disco$ery of the stocks irrespecti$e of the date9time he started his
business./
7n the other hand, there is prima facie e$idence of profiteerin! whene$er a basic
necessity or prime commodity bein! sold: a" has no price ta!; b" is misrepresented as to its
wei!ht or measurement; c" is adulterated or diluted or mi6ed with lower 1uality in the case
of rice or corn; or (d" whene$er a person raises the price of any basic necessity or prime
commodity he sells or offers for sale to the !eneral public by more than -<= of its price in
the immediately precedin! month; *ro$ided, That, in the case of a!ricultural crops, e6cept
rice and corn, fresh fish, fresh marine products, and other seasonal products co$ered by
this 'ct and as determined by the implementin! a!ency, the prima facie pro$ision shall
not apply;
NR # 3509B
JUNE 26, 2014
7n the matter of penalties, ) 4,-. pro$ides #8that the acts of rice and corn
hoardin! or profiteerin! shall be punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than
ten (-<" years nor more than twenty (><" years and a fine not less than *-<<,<<<.<< nor
more than *3<<,<<<.<<;/
?urthermore, it states #*ro$ided, further, that when the acts of rice or corn hoardin!
and profiteerin! are committed durin! or on the occasion of any calamity, disaster or any
emer!ency declared as such by the *resident of the Republic of the *hilippines, they shall
be deemed e1ui$alent to economic sabota!e and punishable by reclusion perpetua;
pro$ided, finally that when the offender is a @uridical person, criminal liability shall attach
to its president, chief operatin! officer or mana!er./
An addition to the penalty imposed on rice or corn hoardin! and profiteerin! under
this act, hoarded rice and corn stocks shall be confiscated and forfeited in fa$or of the
!o$ernment, Mendoza said.
There shall also be created an #'nti%Rice or (orn )oardin! and *rofiteerin! Task
?orce/ in e$ery pro$ince, city and municipality tasked with monitorin! the in$entory
le$el of all rice or corn mills, warehouses and stockhouses to determine their respecti$e
monthly stocks of rice or corn.
At is also pro$ided that an in$entory report of any or e$ery monitorin! acti$ity shall
be rendered by the Task ?orce to the implementin! a!ency concerned, the 2?' in this
case, not later than -< days from conclusion of monitorin!9 inspection acti$ity.
Likewise, #.. refusal to allow the Task ?orce or its duly authorized representati$es
to conduct monitorin! acti$ity in these establishments shall be prima facie e$idence of the
act of rice or corn hoardin! and profiteerin! bein! perpetrated thereat8/
The Task ?orce shall be composed of the local (hief B6ecuti$e of LCDs concerned,
who shall act as chairman; one (-" representati$e from the pro$incial9city field9branch
office of the implementin! a!ency (2?'"; one (-" representati$e from the farmers+ sector;
one (-" representati$e from the local consumer+s or!anization9!roup, if any, and the local
(hief of *olice, as members.
#The owner9operator9mana!ement or e$ery rice or corn mill, warehouse or
stockhouse is re1uired to submit to the Task ?orce a duly%certified and sworn monthly
report of its in$entory or rice or corn stocks; pro$ided that, failure to so shall be prima
facie e$idence of the act of rice or corn hoardin! and profiteerin! perpetrated in the
establishment concerned,/ the measure pro$ides. (E<" dpt