No cartel? NBI sees individual players in pork price spike

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is looking into whether or not a cartel was behind the spike of pork prices in the country.

The probe will also look into the possible role of individual players in the increase in pork prices amid a pandemic, NBI criminal intelligence division chief Sixto Comia told One News’ “The Chiefs” on Thursday.

Comia said an investigation is still ongoing, but so far there is no evidence that there is a cartel controlling pork price in the market.

“In my opinion, I have not yet seen (evidence) that cartels are taking charge. It could be individual (players). The NBI is still gathering evidence,” Comia said in Filipino.

The NBI official compared the possible collusion of traders and retailers as playtime among children to jack up the prices when the government is not looking.

“Government should then step in as the parents to tell them to stop and follow the law,” Comia said.

Last week, the NBI National Capital Region inspected 22 hog farms in Bulacan in its investigation into possible hoarding of pork in the market.

The NBI was tasked by the Department of Justice to go after pork hoarders and price manipulators.

The national government imposed a price cap on pork and chicken, which compelled retailers and importers to go on a pork holiday to avoid losing income.

This compelled the national government to bring in pork from Mindanao to stabilize the price in the region.

Willing to help

Hog raisers in the Visayas and Mindanao are willing to help normalize the “pork crisis” in Luzon, a Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) official said yesterday.

In a radio interview, MMDA chief of staff Michael Salalima said that hog raisers in the islands are ready to help alleviate the effects of the pork situation in Metro Manila and Luzon.

“Visayas and Mindanao are willing to help here. Their help would be monitored by the Department of Agriculture, which would see how many tons would be given,” Salalima said in Filipino yesterday morning.

“(The support) would help normalize the pork situation we are experiencing now,” Salalima said, as he urged meat vendors to follow the price ceiling.

The official added that authorities would continue to monitor the prices of pork across Metro Manila to ensure that the price ceiling is followed.

Local price coordinating councils of local government units are “activated” to monitor.

“If the vendors follow the price ceiling, it would help bring the prices of pork back to normal,” he insisted. – Ralph Edwin Villanueva