2 nabbed for selling overpriced alcohol

CEBU, Philippines — A man and a woman were arrested yesterday in separate entrapment operations for allegedly selling overpriced alcohol.

Authorities identified the suspects as 31-year-old Mia Tek-ing Benett, a resident of Barangay Agus in Lapu-Lapu City, and 27-year-old Eric Pollescas Jr. , a resident of Sitio Lumbang, Barangay Pulpogan in Consolacion town, Cebu.

Benett was arrested in Barangay Basak in Lapu-Lapu City, resulting in the seizure of 30 boxes of alcohol. Each box contains 30 bottles of alcohol.

She allegedly sold each 375 ml of alcohol at P150, which is way higher than the suggested retail price (SRP) of P50.

She used social media to sell the product and delivered personally the item to the buyer, according to the authorities.

The operation was jointly hatched by the City Intelligence Branch, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas, Philippine Air Force, and Food and Drug Administration.

In a separate operation, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents also arrested Pollescas in Mandaue City.

Pollescas allegedly sold each one liter bottle of alcohol at P200, P60 higher than the SRP of P140.

Lawyer Wenceslao Galendez of NBI said the bureau received a complaint from a concerned citizen about Pollescas’ illegal activity.

Galendez said Pollescas reasoned out that the alcohol was sold at a higher price because the same was also acquired at a higher cost.

Pollescas, however, refused to disclose his source or supplier.

Confiscated from him were 17 bottles of alcohol worth P3,400.

Both Pollescas and Benett will be sued for violating Republic Act 7581 (The Price Act) and RA 7394 (The Consumer Act of the Philippines). KQD (FREEMAN)