Former Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar has denied any involvement in an alleged cartel behind the rapid rise of onion prices last year.
Dar issued a statement on Thursday, expressing readiness to defend himself from any accusations related to the controversial onion price surge.
“I am more than willing to answer any inquiries on the onion issue, and repulse the malicious insinuation that I was involved in a cartel, which was grossly unfair, tarnishing my name,” he said, in the statement.
During a House hearing last month, House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman and Quezon 1st district Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga claimed a certain “Leah Cruz,” dubbed “Sibuyas Queen,” has already penetrated the local market even before the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Enverga said that Dar, who led the agriculture department during the latter part of former President Duterte’s administration, had “a lot of explaining to do.”
But Dar stressed that the soaring prices were witnessed “after our term.”
“In contrast, prices of onion were stable during our incumbency,” he said.
“Simply put, we did not have any hand in the price surge of onion, which reached as high as ₱700 per kilogram (kg) during the last quarter of 2022,” Dar, quoted by a CNN report, said.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Dar said that during his stint from August 5, 2019 to June 30, 2022, the country had an excess of 107,719 metric tons of onions.
Dar also noted that prices of onion during the first six months of 2022 ranged from ₱60 to ₱80 per kilo.
“As the investigations and public hearings continue, it is essential to consider the factual data and timelines surrounding the onion supply situation, and how to attain optimum onion production and supply,” he added.