A visibly irate Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo asked a Department of Agriculture official during a House of Representatives panel briefing Wednesday Jan. 25 whether or not he believes there’s a cartel in the local onion industry.“Ang hirap kumuha ng sagot sa DA. Diderechahin ko na lang ,” Quimbo said in her interpellation of Bureau of Plant Industry Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban.
Wednesday’s briefing was carried out by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food chaired by Quezon 1st district Rep. Mark Enverga. The panel discussion focused on the prevailing high prices of local onions, which have reached as high as P700 a kilo.Earlier in the proceedings, Quimbo called it a “mystery” how onion would hit such prices levels in a short amount of time. Onion prices spiked only last December.
“So hindi ko masyadong maintindihan kung bakit sobrang nag-skyrocket ang prices given that modest shortage ,” she added.
Tanga ho ang namumuno sa DA