On Tuesday, NFA discovered 100 sacks of Chinese rice being sold at Cartimar Market in Pasay for P75 to P80 per sack. Months ago, NFA also discovered 8,000 sacks of rice in the same market during a surveillance.
Chinese rice is easier to spot--it is rounder and glossier than the locally-produced grains. NFA personnel bought samples of the rice from different stalls to determine if it has plastic mixed with it.
NFA clarified that it has not issued any permits to import rice from China. But if the discovered sacks of rice in Cartimar belongs to the batch auctioned by Bureau of Customs last October 2014, it can still be sold. These sacks of smuggled rice were seized by the Customs in February 2014 in Paranaque.
Stall owner Ricardo Jopongco said a Chinese agent sells the rice for P1,300 per sack.
He said he is not aware that he might be selling smuggled rice.
"Hindi ko naman alam, tatlong buwan na akong binabagsakan ng ahente ko na Chinese," he said.
If proven that the Chinese rice is smuggled, NFA said there is a possibility that fake rice can enter the country.
"NFA is making preventive actions towards fake Chinese rice, for several months already we've been doing surveillance with the presence of Chinese rice. No permits are given to China, very suspicious po ang Chinese rice," said Dalisay.
Dalisay has ordered all NFA personnel to intensify market inspection and even in ports to monitor the presence of Chinese rice and fake rice.
Criminal and administrative cases will be filed against those who imported the Chinese rice with fines ranging from P4,000 to P8,000 or six years imprisonment.
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