NFA

Bam to Consumers: Be Vigilant against Fake, Tainted Products

Senator Bam Aquino has called on consumers to be more vigilant on what they purchase, with the reported entry of fake rice and noodles and tainted candies in the market.

“Consumers have to be always on guard on what they buy, now that fake and tainted products have made it to the market,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“Mahalagang malaman at mabantayan kung ligtas ba o hindi ang ating binibiling produkto dahil buhay at kalusugan natin ang nakataya,” added Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam made the pronouncement amid reports of fake rice and noodles reportedly being sold in Davao City. At the same time, around 2,000 people suffered food poisoning after consuming tainted durian candies in the Caraga region.

“We call on our small businesses to ensure that our products are safe and fit for consumption for the welfare of our consumers,” Sen. Bam, a staunch advocate of the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, stressed.

Earlier, Sen. Bam has filed a measure seeking to amend the 23-year-old Consumer Act of the Philippines to give it more teeth and make it more effective in protecting the welfare of consumers.

“In order to build stronger commercial systems and maintain thriving markets, there is a need to bolster the rights of consumers and we need to do this at the soonest possible time,” Sen. Bam said in his Senate Bill No. 2699.

If enacted into law, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will be authorized to close down any establishment caught in the act of selling, distributing, manufacturing, producing, displaying or importing hazardous products.

In case of product recall, manufacturers of defective products will also be required to give notice to every person to whom such consumer product was delivered or sold to. 

The measure also raises the administrative fines against erring manufacturers from P50,000 up to P10 million, depending on the discretion by the Trade Secretary. The current law imposes a fine of P500 to P300,000.

Bam on Fake Rice, SIM Card Registration and Purisima’s Dismissal (From Status Update Program)

On Fake Rice

“Nakita ko iyong picture. Actually, mukhang hindi siya mukhang bigas dahil parang foam ang dating. Ito po ay gawa sa patatas, kamote at mas nakakabahala, may plastic.

Si NFA administrator Renan Dalisay, sabi naman niya, binibigyan na niya ng pansin ang fake rice galing China. Hot rice ang tawag dahil smuggled daw po ito. Kailangan tayong mag-ingat.

Sa ating mga negosyante, huwag tayong gumawa ng mga gawaing makakasama sa ating customer.

Ang ibang gawain kasi diyan, hinahaluan mo ng smuggled na bigas kasi mas mura siya. Ang benta mo mas mataas kaya lumalaki ang margin mo kapag naghahalo ka ng smuggled, mas kikita ka.

Pero, unang-una illegal po iyan. Pangalawa, nakakasama po iyan sa ating mga magsasaka, kasi sila po ang nahihirapan.

Pangatlo, baka hindi ninyo po alam kung saan galing ang bigas na iyan, baka fake rice na iyan. Wala pa nga tayong balita kung ito’y nakakasama. Ang sabi lang, may fake rice. Kung may plastic po iyan, hindi po iyan mabuti sa ating katawan.

Para sa mga negosyante po natin, mga rice traders po natin, siguraduhin na ang ibinebenta natin ay tama at tapat sa ating namimili.

Susuportahan po natin ang imbestigasyon pero mas mahalaga na makuha natin ang datos mula sa NFA, kung tonelada ang pumasok o baka sako-sako lang. Alamin ho natin.

Para sa ating mga kababayan, kapag may nakita tayong fake rice, i-report po natin.”

On SIM Card Registration

“Alam ninyo ho, ang SIM card registration kasi, matagal na itong pinag-uusapan. Iyong nagtutulak nito sa Senado, si Senator Sotto. Kinukuwento niya sa sakin, tayo na lang sa iilang bansa na hindi nagpapa-register ng SIM card.

Para kay Cong. Biazon at Sen. Sotto, malaking bagay ang security. Kasi itong mga SIM card, hindi registered, ginagamit sa scam. Sometimes, ginagamit iyan sa transaction na illegal or the use of burner phone.

Sometimes naman ho, kapag mayroong nangyaring masama o may kinalaman sa krimen, kailangang mahanap ho ang mga SIM card.

Ang sabi naman po ni Cong. Biazon at Sen. Sotto, form lang ito. Pangalan, may ID, para alam mo kung kanino nabenta ang SIM.

Of course, sasabihin ng sari-sari store o tiangge, pakokolektahin ninyo kami ng pangalan at ita-transmit pa natin iyan.

 Kailangan ho nating balansehin, kung ano ang mas mahalagang bagay, iyong makuha natin ang security or iyong magkaroon ng extra process.

Tingin ko naman, kung maayos ang paggagamitan mo nito, ano ba naman na ilagay mo ang pangalan mo at magpakita ka ng ID. Hindi naman ho ganoong kasama.

Ang mahalaga lang ay nire-register po ito. Probably po, pag-uusapan natin ito sa Senado. Kung may mapeperhuwisyo nito, iyong nagtitinda at telcos dahil kailangan ng database.

Ang maganda naman dito, kung mayroong krimen at scam, agad-agad nating malalaman kung saan galing at nabenta ang  SIM card na iyan.”

On the Dismissal of Purisima, 10 other PNP Officials

 “Ito’y dahil sa kontrata sa courier service na Werfast.

Maraming nagtataka kung bakit ganoon daw. Ang isa pa pong lumabas, sa desisyon nila, hindi pa daw nakarehisto noong panahong nagawa ang kasunduan sa Werfast.

Nirehistro lang ito noong Agosto, e Mayo ang kanilang pirmahan. Mayroon talagang kataka-taka sa transaksyong ito.

 Ako po, kitang-kita naman natin na napaka-busy ni Madam Ombudsman. Hindi siguro natutulog si Madam Ombudsman.

Sabi ko nga, ang mga babae ang mas matatapang sa ating bansa.”

Apply full force of law on hoarders – Sen. Bam


Senator Bam Aquino calls on the government to apply the full force of the law on hoarders of rice, garlic and other market products, saying they must be severely punished for their illegal acts that resulted in sudden prices increases.

The senator made the pronouncement even as he lauded Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan for their successful crackdown on several rice hoarders recently.

“Hoarders of rice, garlic and other products must be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Their illegal act has resulted in higher prices, placing additional burden on our consumers,” said Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“The recent success against hoarders should serve as warning to those who are still doing it. The government is serious in going after those who compromise the public’s interest for their own profit,” the senator added.

Aquino lauded Roxas and Pangilinan for personally spearheading the government’s campaign against rice hoarders.

Recently, the two government officials led the inspection and raid of several warehouses where they discovered that NFA rice were being repacked and sold as commercial rice.

The campaign led to the confiscation of an estimated 4,000 metric tons of rice and the filing of charges against a company for violation of Presidential Decree No. 4 for diversion of price and price manipulation under the Price Act.

“If found guilty, hoarders face five to 15 years imprisonment under the Price Act,” said Aquino.

Aquino said the passage of the Fair Competition Act of 2014 will end monopolies, cartels and other trade practices that affect businesses, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The senator stressed that the bill’s passage is long overdue since the Philippines is one of only few countries that don’t have a competition policy that will protect its consumers and private industries.

 

Photo source: gmanews.tv

 

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