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| Sec. Mar Roxas at Purefeeds warehouse. |
MALOLOS
CITY—A rice trader here will soon face multiple charges for mixing old rice
stocks which is said to be unfit for human consumption with imported ones.
However,
the rice trader said he did nothing wrong and noted that he was even are
cooperating with the National Food Authority (NFA) inspections as directed by
President Aquino last week.
As
this developed, NFA and police officials said more rice warehouses suspected of
rice hoarding and profiteering have been identified and will soon be raided.
This
came as the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) cordoned off a rice
warehouse at the First Bulacan Industrial City (FBIC) in Barangay Tikay here on
Friday and was opened to the media on morning, July 7.
Interior
Secretary Mar Roxas told journalists that Purefeeds Corp. will be facing
multiple charges for violation of laws implemented by the NFA, Bureau of
Internal Revenue (BIR), the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI).
Roxas
said that Purefeeds Corp., owned by one Jojo Soliman, has been mixing old
stocks rice which are deemed unfi t for human consumption with imported rice
from Vietnam. “They are selling adulterated rice,” Roxas said noting that old
stock rice served as “extender” to imported rice.
Roxas
and the NFA represented by its Administrator Arthur Juan reported that a total
of 32,000 bags of rice were seized at the Purefeeds warehouse here. However,
sources said the total inventory at the said warehouse is about 60,000 bags.
Roxas
clarified that the 32,000 bags he mentioned earlier is a result of initial
inventory. Roxas also said that there is a possibility that rice mixed and
repacked by Purefeeds have been distributed to the market. He said that NFA
will soon file charges against Purefeeds, and if found guilty, their license to
trade rice might be terminated.
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| Jojo Soliman, Purefeeds owner |
For
his part, Soliman told PromdiNEWS that his family has been trading rice for
over 50 years. He said that he himself has been in the business for 25 years
and started rice importation 15 years ago. “We have done nothing wrong, there
is nothing illegal in our operation,” Soliman said. He added that they have
been cooperating with the NFA in the implementation of its “visitorial
function.”
He
expressed disappointment over the seeming trial by publicity against them.
“This is supposed to be a regular inspection,” he said. The same was affirmed
by NFA Administrator Arthur Juan who also said that he respects the comments of
Soliman.
Juan
noted that once the case is filed in court, they will follow what the law
requires. Dino Balabo