Some Department of Agriculture (DA) employees have a hand in creating artificial onion supply shortage to justify high prices, the head of an onion farmers’ cooperative alleged during a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
Israel Reguyal, president of Bonena Multi-Purpose Coop, made the allegation during the inquiry on the onion shortage and spike in onion prices conducted by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food.
“Ang modus po nito, ganito. Bibilhin niya lahat ng sibuyas sa warehouses. Pag nabili na niya lahat ng sibuyas, iyong DA, magi-issue na ng import permit. Doon po kami patay,” Reguyal told the committee, referring to one Lilia Cruz, who has already denied the accusation.
(The modus here is, Lilia Cruz will buy all onions in warehouses until they are all bought out, then the DA would issue import permits. That’s what’s killing us.)
“Napakabigat po niyan sa amin. Common knowledge po iyan sa Bongabong [Nueva Ecija],” Reguyal added.
(That burdens us and that is common knowledge in Bongabong.)
GMA News Online has reached out to the DA for its comment, but it has yet to respond as of posting time.
When House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan asked Reguyal to name the DA personnel supposedly in cahoots with Cruz, Reguyal proposed an executive session, a session closed to the media and the public.
“Hihingi po ako executive session para magkaintindihan tayo lahat rito. Marami po akong alam,” Reguyal said.
(I’m asking for an executive session so that I can tell you all I know.)
This prompted Libanan to make a motion to hold an executive session.
“I move that we conduct an executive session so that we would know what is really happening in the onion and garlic industry,” he said.
Libanan’s motion was carried by the committee with no opposition.
Other individuals who will testify in an executive session were Cruz and Bureau of Plant Industry’s Director Glenn Panganiban.
Cruz, during the House inquiry last week, denied that she is involved in onion smuggling or hoarding, saying that her accusers have no proof.
“Time after time, my accusers have yet to prove their allegations. Instead of presenting evidence, they are feeding lies to people behind my back, so their statements must be taken with a grain of salt,” Cruz, a former importer of agricultural products but now works as a trader, said last week. —KBK, GMA Integrated News
