SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 3 May) — A group that local officials wanted to be investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for possible violations of the Corporation Code and other laws, said they have been selling rice at P20 per kilo to its members.
Dante Tabusares, chair of Humanitarian and Spiritual Missionary Apostulates of Davao and Asia Inc. (Hasmadai), said that even before House Speaker Martin Romualdez vowed to bring down the price of rice to P30 per kilo by June, they had been supplying rice to their members in Digos City and nearby areas at P20 per kilo since March 11.
Tabusares said they had been offering rice at this price to their 5,000 members and missionaries, with a limit of five kilos per family per week. But he added that they suspended this initiative last month following complaints from local rice traders regarding potential sales losses.
Explaining the rationale behind the 5-kilo limit, Tabusares said that while Hasmadai could provide 20 kilos per family per month, the members would have to purchase the remaining 30 kilos from rice traders at the public market to support local sales.
In Manila on April 30, Romualdez told reporters of the House’s aim to amend Republic Act No. 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law, to reduce rice prices to approximately P30 per kilo. The proposed amendment seeks to enable the National Food Authority to reintroduce lower-priced rice to the market.
Tabusares said the P20 per kilo for their members is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign promise to reduce the price of rice to this amount. This initiative was launched on March 11 during the opening of SMA Shopping Center in Digos City.
He said they procured their rice supply from local suppliers at P960 per 25-kilo sack, or P38.4 per kilo. He said the P18.4 difference was subsidized by donors, including overseas Filipino workers and philanthropists whose names he did not divulge.
But a joint committee hearing last month by the Sangguniang Bayan of San Francisco found that Hasmadai may be liable for using fictitious names, involvement in investment solicitation, among other violations.
Tabusares used to be media coordinator for the controversial KAPA Community Ministry International, whose founder, Pastor Joel Apolinario, and two of its incorporators were sentenced to life imprisonment for eight counts of syndicated estafa for soliciting investments in the form of donations with a promise of huge returns.
The concerns raised by the Sangguniang Bayan about Hasmadai’s operations prompted an investigation by the SEC into the use of monetary donations for a purported religious-themed investment scheme.
Tabusares admitted during the hearing that Hasmadai accepts cash donations, including contributions from foreign sources, assuring donors of an undisclosed monthly “missionary allowance.”
The joint committee report of the Sangguniang Bayan recommends the cancellation of Hasmadai’s SEC registration for alleged violations of the Corporation Code and using an alias. The recommendation followed the finding that Tabusares used a different name, Ralph Jimmy Calaor Gayatin, in SEC documents.
The joint committee urged the SEC to investigate Hasmadai, focusing on its registration status, use of fictitious names, involvement in investment solicitation, compliance with its stated purpose, and potential penalties for violations of the Corporation Code.
The Sangguniang Bayan also raised concerns that Hasmadai was issuing official receipts with an address in Davao instead of San Francisco where their office is located.
Tabusares vehemently denied any involvement in an investment scam, asserting that Hasmadai’s primary objective is to provide free technical-vocational training and seminars to assist those in need. He attributed the discrepancy in names to an “honest mistake” and promised corrective action.
During the joint committee hearing, lawyer Jason Tan, SEC Caraga Regional Director said Haimadai was registered as a non-stock, non-profit religious organization. He warned that any misrepresentation in their SEC registration could result in revocation.
Tabusares reiterated Hasmadai’s commitment to providing civic and social services since 2022, emphasizing their dedication to aiding vulnerable populations and fostering empowerment.
Hasmadai’s social media page states its “commitment to serving vulnerable and marginalized populations by addressing their basic needs and promoting long-term empowerment and resilience. Additionally, it aims to provide comprehensive social services and religious support, fostering compassion, social justice, and spiritual well-being.” (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)
