Sandiganbayan acquits ex-Plant industry execs linked to ‘garlic cartel’

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division acquitted two former Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) officials and several entrepreneurs of graft charges in connection with the alleged manipulation of garlic prices.

In a decision promulgated on Tuesday, the court said the prosecution failed to prove the accused’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Among those acquitted were former BPI Director Clarito Barron, former National Plant Quarantine Services Division (NPQSD) Chief Merle Palacpac, and Philippine Vegetable Importers, Exporters and Vendors Association Group of Companies (Philvieva) Director Lilia Cruz.

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READ: Agri trader slams ‘false, baseless, unfounded’ accusations of onion, garlic smuggling

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The NPQSD is a division under the BPI which is the Department of Agriculture’s regulatory arm for the importation, exportation and the domestic movement of plants and plant products. 

Also acquitted were traders Rolando Manangan; Prudencio Ruedas; Ma. Jackielou Ilagan; Gaudioso Diato; Denia Matabang; Raffy Torres; Mary Grace Sebastian; Orestes Salon; Jon Dino de Veyra; Jose Angulo Jr.; Laila Matabang; Edmond Caguinguin; Napoleon Baldueza; Jose Ollegue; Rolan Galvez; and Renato Francisco Jr.

Fifth Division Chairperson Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses noted that the P30,000 bonds each of the accused had posted will be released and the hold departure orders against them will be lifted.

He noted that Torres, Caguinguin and Ollegue were not present during the promulgation, but the decision was nonetheless promulgated.

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Meanwhile, the decision said the same case against three other co-accused—businesswomen Rochelle Diaz, Shiela Mary dela Cruz and Angelita Flores, who all remained at large—was archived.

Cruz was appointed chairperson of the National Garlic Action Team (NGAT) by then-Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala in July 2013.

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In November 2013, the NGAT recommended the importation of 58,240 metric tons of garlic to satisfy the local market’s requirements up until March 2014.

A total of 8,810 import permits were approved during the same period, of which 5,022 were issued to importers associated with Philvieva, according to the information filed by state prosecutors.

It added that, from January to July 2014, the price of imported garlic soared to between P260 and P400 per kilogram; from between P165 and P170 per kilogram from 2010 to 2013.

State prosecutors earlier pointed to Barron as the approving authority; and Palacpac and then-NPQSD chief Luben Marasigan as the recommending officers for the processing and release of the import permits.

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The charge against Alcala was dismissed earlier this year due to insufficiency of evidence, while the charge against Marasigan was dismissed in 2021 due to his death. /jpv