00:00The committees in the camera are like a flock of chickens in the rice industry that's why the price of rice is still high in the market.
00:08This is faced by the 10 largest importers of rice in the country,
00:12which was also answered by the allegation that there is a cartel that manipulates the price of rice.
00:18Jonathan Andal is on the scene.
00:23They are the 10 largest importers of rice in the Philippines.
00:28Earlier, they were called by the 5th committee of the camera to answer the allegation that there is a cartel that manipulates the price of rice.
00:36They immediately denied it.
00:38We don't have a cartel, we don't do profiteering, we're dictated by the market prices, we don't do hoarding.
00:50What's being blamed now is that we, the importers, have become the spotlight, where in fact, what we see is the problem with the retailers.
01:00According to the Bureau of Customs, when imported rice arrives in the country, its price or landed cost is P33 per kilo.
01:07It will be taken by the importer and they say that it is sold to the wholesaler for P35 to P40.
01:13The wholesaler sells the rice to the dealer before it reaches the retailer in the market.
01:19We are being fooled somewhere else.
01:21Customs said that the price is P33.
01:24The wholesaler said that it is sold to the dealer for P35 to P40.
01:28Why is it sold to the market for P50?
01:31A large rice importer can be contempted for a while.
01:35His rice worth P1 billion was imported this year, but he can't say how much they earned.
01:42It's impossible, sir, that you don't know how much you earn.
01:47My wife is the one computing there, ma'am.
01:53Our detention facility is spacious, Mr. Chair.
01:57I will tell the truth.
01:59I think you are lying.
02:01We are wondering why the price is so high and the importer doesn't know about it.
02:07I can't accept that, Mr. Chair.
02:10May I now request AMLA, Mr. Chair.
02:16To check the financial records and transactions of all these top importers.
02:25Because if they don't have the capability to finance their importation,
02:33someone or somebody is financing them.
02:37A congressman asked the BPI or Bureau of Plant Industry
02:42because they don't know that two out of ten largest rice importers in the country are mothers.
02:49BPI, did you not check whether or not these two companies were actually owned by one individual?
02:56No, we didn't check.
02:58Why didn't you check?
02:59Sir, we are reviewing it now.
03:01You can't review it now.
03:03It's already done.
03:04You will do your job now.
03:06When they were still applying, you should have checked it already.
03:11The congressmen believe that there is corruption in the rice industry.
03:16Because the price in the market is still high even though there is an oversupply of rice.
03:21And even though the price of 20% was reduced since last July.
03:26It is a puzzle for us that perhaps this deserves a more nuanced analysis.
03:36The farm gate price went down.
03:38The landed cost went down.
03:41It should translate to lower retail, but that's not what happened.
03:47Our rice is in the warehouse.
03:51They don't export it.
03:53That's why the price didn't go down.
03:55They will tell the farmers,
03:58we can't buy your rice if you don't lower the price.
04:03Because they don't need rice.
04:08So the farmers were affected.
04:11Nothing happened to the consumers because there is corruption.
04:16There is a cartel that is happening.
04:18There is an advance for our government agencies.
04:23If we don't meet our target, we will lower the price of rice.
04:31The Department of Agriculture cannot say if there is a cartel for rice.
04:36Seems like there is a cartel-like market environment.
04:39But I cannot categorically say that there is.
04:41Because it is not mandated that you cannot say that.
04:44For GMA Integrated News, Jonathan Andal.
04:4824 Hours.
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