Arroyo asks police to raid warehouses

Manila: President Gloria Arroyo has called for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to assist the agriculture secretary in raiding the secret warehouses of rice hoarders, a statement from the presidential palace said.

"The Secretary of Agriculture is staking out all the warehouses of the National Food Authority (NFA), a rice-importing agency, so he can follow the trucks and see where they are bringing rice. He is investigating all warehouses, watching them and re-licensing them. He shall hit the hoarders," Arroyo said during a rice-council meeting led by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Arroyo ordered Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to stop any dishonest dealing in the build-up and distribution of the government-subsidised staple food, adding that the cheap rice which the government has built up must end up on the tables of the intended consumers, the country's poor.

Unscrupulous

At the same time, Arroyo asked Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila to help the agriculture secretary in cracking down on rice hoarders and unscrupulous traders who could be influencing the NFA-sourced rice to have an artificial higher market value.