Alcala charged with graft
Credit to Author: MA. REINA LEANNE TOLENTINO, TMT| Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2019 12:11:46 +0000
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed a graft complaint against former Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and other individuals in connection with the alleged monopoly on the supply of garlic.
Also charged at the Sandiganbayan were former Bureau of Plant Industry Director Clarito Barron, former National Plant Quarantine Services former Chief Luben Marasigan, and former NPQSD chief Merle Palacpac.
Lilia Cruz a.k.a. “Lea Cruz,” who was then-chairman and “controlling owner” of the Vegetable Importers, Exporters, Vendors Association of the Philippines (Vieva), and severl other traders, were also charged.
The Ombudsman alleged that from 2010 to 2014, Alcala, Barron, Marasigan, and Palacpac conspired with the other respondents and gave “unwarranted benefit and advantage and preference” to PHILVIEVA, Vieva and other traders.
Alcala allegedly “created the National Garlic Action Team (NGAT) composed of individuals from public and private sectors involved in the trading and growing of garlic.”
On Nov. 5, 2013, the NGAT issued a resolution “declaring an insufficiency in the country’s garlic supply and recommended the importation of 58,240 metric tons of garlic through the issuance of import permits to be allocated to farmer cooperatives (70%) and legitimate garlic importers (30%).”
The Ombudsman alleged that PHILVIEVA, VIEVA, and VIEVA-affiliated importers cornered most of the import permits, thus allowing Cruz to dictate the prices of garlic in the market.
The Ombudsman said the price of imported garlic soared to P400 per kilogram from P170 per kg.
A bail of P30,000 was recommended P30,000 for each of the accused.
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