Eleazar to DTI: Act fast to protect consumers

MANILA, Philippines — Former police chief and senatorial candidate Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar yesterday called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to immediately implement measures to protect consumers from the unreasonable increase of the prices of basic goods.

Prices of some goods have reportedly gone up by as much as P60, Eleazar said.

“Prices of goods, including meat, chicken and vegetables, have gone up due to oil price hikes in the international market, and the DTI should act on this immediately,” he said in Filipino.

He said among the measures that the DTI should implement in coordination with local government units (LGUs) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are the random inspection of prices in grocery stores and public markets and the checking of proper weight of goods bought on per kilo basis.

Eleazar said the PNP and the LGUs have been helping the DTI enforce the laws in connection with profiteering and other violations.

By regular random inspection, Eleazar said erring traders would be discouraged from taking advantage of consumers.

He also urged LGUs and the DTI to strengthen the system of filing of complaints against erring traders.

‘Walk the talk’

Meanwhile, UniTeam senatorial candidate Harry Roque yesterday said “putting words into action” is the best tool to fight corruption.

Roque cited President Duterte as the one who “walked the talk” and was able to battle corruption during his term.

“I think the President as an executive did well by serving, by way of example, by filing all the cases that he could within the limitations of the law since under our Constitution the filing of these cases properly belongs to the ombudsman,” he said.

On the other hand, Roque said the ombudsman should be given a deadline to prosecute corrupt public officials as cases take too long to resolve.

The National Prosecution Service and the ombudsman should have a memorandum of understanding authorizing the NPS to conduct a preliminary investigation to prosecute corrupt officials in the government immediately, he said.

The former congressman also pushed for the dissolution of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) because of corruption in the agency.

He said if elected, he wants to establish the National Health Service to ensure that the government takes steps to protect the Filipinos’ right to health.

Rody endorses Jinggoy

Also yesterday, Duterte endorsed senatorial candidate former senator Jinggoy Estrada.

In a pre-taped message, Duterte urged the public to give Estrada another chance to carry out his pro-poor programs.

“I expressed my support to Jinggoy Estrada for his candidacy as senator. For his drive and passion for public service. Let us give him another chance to carry out his earnest desire to continue his pro-poor programs he initiated in the Senate,” the President said.

“I’m confident that he will pursue his commitment to address the problems besetting the country through meaningful legislation,” he said.

Teachers’ honorarium

Senatorial candidate and former vice president Jejomar Binay supported yesterday calls to remove the tax on the honorarium of teachers and other poll workers for the upcoming May elections.

“This is in recognition of the sacrifices of the teachers and poll workers during elections,” Binay said.

Aside from ensuring that the elections remain honest and credible, he said teachers and poll workers also have to endure weather conditions and the threat of COVID-19.

“Especially during the hot season and the pandemic, the service of the election personnel will be longer and there are threats on their health,” Binay said.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue started imposing a five-percent tax on teachers’ compensation for their election duties in 2018. But the Alliance of Concerned Teachers said that for the May elections, a 20 percent tax would be imposed on teachers’ travel allowance.

P100-B stimulus package

Meanwhile, senatorial aspirant and incumbent Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero is backing the proposal of Vice President Leni Robredo to fund a P100-billion stimulus package for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which contribute about 40 percent to the country’s gross domestic product.

The proposal is an “economist’s roadmap” to pandemic recovery of the MSMEs – a sector that employs approximately 63 percent of the Philippine workforce, said Escudero.

“Vice President Robredo’s prescription is right. We need to help small businesses,” said Escudero.

Up to 99.5 percent of the estimated one million establishments in the country are MSMEs, per data from the United Nations Development Program.

“There can be no national recovery without MSME revival,” said Escudero. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Bebot Sison