Ombudsman steps into sibuyas mess

The Office of the Ombudsman has opened an investigation into the continuous spike in market prices of red and white onions.

On Tuesday, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said Department of Agriculture and Food Terminal Inc. officials will be asked to explain the procurement of onions at P537 per kilo from the Bonena Multipurpose Cooperative.

The Ombudsman is investigating whether traders are involved in price-fixing schemes that may have raised onion farmgate prices, given that onions are only sold for P170 per kilo at Kadiwa outlets.

According to Israel Reguyal, chair of the Bonena Multipurpose Cooperative, traders began a bidding process last month, resulting in farmgate prices ranging from P550 to P570 per kg.

The high prices of onions have prompted a Congressional probe. Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, Appropriations panel senior vice chairperson, filed House Resolution 681 ordering the Economic Affairs and the Trade and Industry panels to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation into the alleged existence of a cartel and anti-competitive practices in the onion industry. Quimbo said a cartel might be to blame for the recent surge in onion prices. Members of the Makabayan bloc also filed a separate resolution.

Rep. France Castro, Rep. Arlene Brosas and Rep. Raoul Manuel filed House Resolution 673 prodding the Committee on Agriculture and Food to investigate “potential overpricing and price manipulation of onions in the market.”

The progressive lawmakers pointed out that the high price of onions exceeded the ordinary workers’ minimum wage of P570 and was significantly higher than the market per-kilogram cost of pork.

DA deputy spokesperson Rex Estoperez on Tuesday said the agency is also looking at price manipulation as one of the causes for the continuing price spike of onions in public markets.