President Benigno Aquino’s pledge against corruption bolsters Operation Hammerdown of the sugar industry that is aimed at going after sugar smugglers, retired Gen. Joel Goltiao, head of the Sugar Anti Smuggling Organization, said in a press release yesterday.

In his speech at the 75th anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation, Aquino reiterated his stand to aggressively hunt down corrupt officials and make them accountable to the people, Goltiao said.

This policy statement supports the objectives of Operation Hammerdown, which is the sugar industry’s plan for crop year 2011 / 12 in addressing the smuggling problem, Goltiao said, at the launching of the program.

Some price increases
normal, DTI head says

There have been price increases in certain products in the market but these are not considered overpricing because they do not exceed their regular prices by 10 percent, Rebecca Rascon, provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry, said yesterday.

At the meeting of the Local Price Coordinating Council at Planta Centro Hotel in Bacolod yesterday, Rascon said supermarkets and establishments have the privilege to increase prices of certain products as long as these prices are affected by price changes in the world market.

She also said the increases can be seen in products like cheese and mayonnaise since they have imported components and ingredients, so the increases are “tolerable”.

ARBs TOLD
‘Consult us before signing deals’

The Department of Agrarian Reform in Negros Occidental yesterday called on all beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program to comply with the lease back agreement of the department before entering into contracts.

Felix Servidad, provincial agrarian reform officer, said most holders of certificate of land ownership awards enter into lease contracts without informing their office so when disputes arise between the two parties, DAR can only arrange for dialogs.

He said what has been agreed and signed between the two parties has to be followed and complied with to avoid problems. DAR has to know the contents of the agreement to let the farmers understand what is in it.