P40-M repacked rice seized

President Arroyo, together with Valenzuela City Mayor Jose Emmanuel "Bobbit" Carlos, led a joint pose of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and local police operatives in confiscating some 40,000 bags of illegally repacked National Food Authority (NFA) rice from a warehouse yesterday in Valenzuela City.

The operation of the warehouse, rented out by the Metro Grains Marketing (MGM) and allegedly owned by a cooperative of "organized rice millers" in Quezon City, is headed by a certain Eleanor "Ela" Rodriguez, Valenzuela police chief Superintendent Jose Marcelo told The STAR.

The raiders, armed with a search warrant issued by Valenzuela Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Floro Alejo, seized the "remilled" rice with an estimated repacked value of P40 million at around 10 a.m. yesterday at Pearl Island, Phase 2, Barangay Punturin, Valenzuela City.

Carlos said the unauthorized remilling and rebagging of NFA rice imported from India was first discovered by the city’s Business License Office last June 26, 2003 while conducting a routine inspection of establishments operating in the city.

The team, however, failed to arrest Rodriguez or anyone of significant position in the company. A caretaker identified only as "Jenny" and some 11 kargadores were found in the premises at the time of the raid but they were left untouched, not even called in for questioning, a police source said.

Carlos said the warehouse has been under surveillance for weeks following information relayed to the Office of the Mayor. He said he informed the President about the impending raid on the establishment. The President witnessed the raid and commended Carlos and the whole raiding team for the feat.

Initial reports said MGM, allegedly a licensed NFA rice retailer, could not produce the required documents as these were kept in their QC office. Marcelo told The STAR that the papers are now being reviewed by the NBI. If found in order, no case will be pushed against the retailer, Marcelo said.

The rebagged rice, already sporting various brand names when seized, were earlier thought to be smuggled from India but authorities said they already got reports the rice was purchased from the NFA. The raiders said the supposed NFA rice, which sells at lower prices, was being rebagged for commercial sale at higher prices for later distribution in Metro Manila’s markets.

The NBI, however, before securing the search warrant from the court, already presented a certification from the NFA showing that MGM has no authority to remill and re-bag the NFA rice.