CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 24 Mar) – Four persons were arrested in this city for selling on the internet overpriced alcohol bottles last Saturday.
Selling alcohol in Davao City on 18 March 2020 under the watchful eye of a policewoman. Each buyer can get only one 1-liter bottle. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
In Lanao del Sur, a barangay captain identified as Cassar Abinal was also arrested for selling quarantine passes in his village in Mantapoli, Marantao town last Sunday.
Capt. Freddie Zorilla, chief of the Cagayan de Oro Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said the four persons were arrested in an entrapment operation at the JT Food Depot along Justo Ramonal Street.
Zorilla identified the suspects as Percy Datoy, female, 24, a resident of Zone 10, Upper Carmen; Yobryte Unabia, female, 37, of Zone 8, Barangay Carmen; Jerome Quiachon, 32, of Tibasak, Barangay Macasandig; and Daniel Casiño, 22, of Barangay Tablon.
Zorilla said the alleged mastermind and owner of JT Food Depot was not at the store when the operatives arrested the suspects.
He said they seized from the suspects 96 plastic bottles of 150ml 90% ethyl alcohol and 73 50ml bottles.
“We saw that they were selling the alcohol online at very exorbitant prices,” Zorilla said.
Zorilla said the group allegedly sells the 150ml plastic bottle at P120 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pegged the price at only P74 for a 500ml bottle.
He said they have filed several cases against the suspects like the violation of FDA Circular no. 2020-005 prohibiting the sale of essential medical supplies beyond the suggested price ceiling.
Zorilla said they also filed a case for violating Republic Act No. 7581 as amended by Republic Act 10623 otherwise known as the Price Act.
Meanwhile, Bangsamoro Transition Authority member Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson of the Lanao del Sur Anti-COVID-19 Task Force, said Abinal was found selling quarantine passes at P50 per piece in his barangay hall.
The Lanao del Sur provincial government had imposed strict quarantine measures restricting the movements of its residents without a pass. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)