The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents on Tuesday arrested five suspects, including a Chinese national, for overpricing of medical supplies during separate operations in Caloocan and Quezon City.
NBI Director Eric Distor identified the Chinese suspect as Tian Man Chen, and Filipino suspects as John Derick dela Rosa, Jomel Tapispisan, Sarah Grace Tapispisan, and Nathaniel Palingkod.
They are involved in selling overpriced ethyl alcohol and non-contact thermal scanners, the bureau said.
Distor said the first operation stemmed from an intelligence report received by NBI-Criminal Investigation Division (NBI-CRID) that a businessman from Valenzuela City was selling 100% alcohol in bulk or in drum amounting to P37,500.
That amount is over the allowable selling price set by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), pegged at P25,000 per drum.
Distor said an entrapment operation was hatched by CRID operatives to purchase two drums of 100% ethyl alcohol.
On April 1, as operatives arrived at the meeting place near a drugstore in Caloocan, the transaction took place and NBI agents arrested the four Filipino suspects.
They were charged before the Caloocan City Prosecutors Office for violation of Section 5 (2) of Republic Act 7581 in relation to Republic Act 10623 or the Price Act of the Philippines, as penalized under Sec. 15 in relation to DTI Memo Circular No. 20-07 dated March 19.
They are also charged of violating Article 52(b) of RA 7394 or the Consumer Act, as penalized under Article 60 in relation to Article 14(7) of the Revised Penal Code.
In the second operation, Distor and operatives of the NBI Environmental Crime Division (NBI-EnCD) arrested Chen for alleged hoarding, profiteering, and price manipulation of medical supplies in Quezon City on April 2.
Chen was arrested for selling overpriced thermal scanners at P4,400 per unit, above the allowable selling price of P599 to P3,400 set by DTI.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 1,000 pieces of thermal scanners valued at P4.4 million.
The Chinese was charged before the Quezon City Prosecutors Office in violation of The Price Act of the Philippines, Consumer Act of the Philippines, and the Bayanihan Act.