City to check reports of supply hoarding

CEBU, Philippines - The city government will look into the reported artificial shortages of basic commodities and possible hoarding of goods in Cebu City.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said that the city will talk to the Department of Trade and Industry to address such alarming concerns.

“We will look into the artificial shortages and we will coordinate with DTI. But, we also have to consider the plight of our hungry brothers and sisters in Tacloban and others areas in Samar struck by the super typhoon Yolanda,” Labella said, adding that hoarding of goods is punishable by law.

Labella also said the city government is urging the banking industries to deposit enough cash in every Automatic Teller Machine to serve the needs of the public.

“We urge the banking institutions and companies nga mag-deposit og enough money sa atong mga ATMs kay we also have to cater the rest of the communities apart from the devastated areas nga naigo sa Yolanda,” Labella said.

“Rest assured we will look into this and we will regulate again for the general welfare,” Labella added.

Meanwhile, Cebu City administrator Jose Marie Poblete is also asking the businessmen to triple their efforts in order to provide fair and balanced services to the public.

“It was just a matter of  course kay ang location man gud sa Cebu is where transport is facilitative. So intense ang purposes sa Cebu nga mangompra para dalhon sa mga affected areas. They cannot go to Mindanao kay lisod, neither sa Luzon kay mas layo,” Poblete said.

He added that businessmen and different companies as well should show extra efforts and initiative to sort out goods and conduct inventories to avoid delay in putting the goods or basic commodities on market shelves.

He is also appealing to all citizens and consumers to refrain from hoarding goods to avoid possible shortages in the market.

“It is really a matter of feeling sensitive to the needs of these people (typhoon victims), kay naa man g’yud ang panginahanglan ug ang Cebu ang labing madalidali og pangumpra,” Poblete added.

Poblete said Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has already appointed three lawyers from the city legal office to look into the alleged reports of  hoarding of goods which can lead to artificial shortages.

Poblete said the city government will help DTI through reporting  of  incidents of hoarding of goods.  (FREEMAN)