Retailers seen largely complying with price freeze

RETAILERS have been broadly complying with price freeze orders imposed during the enhanced community quarantine, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said in his second weekly report to Congress on the national emergency late Monday.

Some 97% of 5,192 firms monitored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) complied with the price freeze, the President said. The DTI conducted 1,289 monitoring activities between March 28 and April 1.

The DTI and agriculture and health departments released on March 18 joint memorandum circular 2020-01 imposing the price freeze on basic necessities and prime commodities after the declaration of the state of public health emergency on March 8 and state of calamity on March 16.

Violators may face up to P2 million in fines or up to 15 years’ imprisonment.

The DTI processed 427 online complaints and endorsed 250 complaints to various agencies such as the health department. The DTI issued 140 letters of inquiry, four notices of violation to retailers, and one formal charge.

The DTI’s fair trade enforcement bureau has made 64 arrests over 544 campaigns against hoarding and profiteering.

The DTI in collaboration with the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation also arrested 96 individuals for consumer, food, drug, price, and cybercrime laws in 110 joint operations.

According to the President’s report, the Department of Interior and Local Government also reported 594 arrests for hoarding, profiteering, and manipulation of prices of basic commodities, while the agriculture department is monitoring and enforcing suggested retail prices of basic agricultural commodities in Metro Manila.

“(The monitoring) helped regulate the prices of pork, chicken, sugar, milkfish, tilapia, round scad, garlic, and onion,” it said. — Jenina P. Ibañez