Ex-DA chief tagged in garlic cartel posts bail

MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala yesterday posted a bail bond of P30,000 in a graft case for allegedly conspiring to monopolize the importation and supply of garlic in the market in 2014.

Assisted by his lawyers, Alcala appeared before the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division to post bail and sign several court documents as part of the booking procedure after it found probable cause to issue a warrant for his arrest on April 15.

The Fifth Division set Alcala’s arraignment on May 24 and gave the other accused within the week to post bail.

Named as Alcala’s co-accused in the case were 23 other former officials and private individuals, including former Bureau of Plant Industry director Clarito Barron and former BPI National Quarantine Services Division chiefs Luben Marasigan and Merle Palacpac.

Also charged were private trader Lilia Cruz, chairperson and controlling owner of Vegetable Importers, Exporters, Vendors Association of the Philippines, other garlic traders who are also members of the VIEVA board of directors, as well as officials of several agricultural cooperatives.

The ombudsman, in its charge sheet filed last March 15, said that in 2013, Alcala named Cruz as the chairman of the National Garlic Action Team, the DA’s consultative body on policies concerning garlic importation and supplies.

The ombudsman said that of the total of 8,810 permits issued by the DA from November 2013 to March 2014, 5,022 were secured by VIEVA and VIEVA-affiliate importers.

The ombudsman said VIEVA’s scheme resulted in the surge of the price of imported garlic to P260 to P450 per kilo from January to July 2014 from its previous price of P165 to P170 per kilo in 2010 to 2013.