Customers sift through red onions at a stall in Divisoria market in Manila on Aug. 18, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — Price manipulation could be the reason for the soaring prices of onions in the country, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Tuesday.
The price of onions skyrocketed to P700 a kilo in some public markets in Metro Manila during the holiday season.
"Most likely, ito ang personal opinion ko, there’s some price manipulation," Pimentel told ANC's "Headstart".
"And how do you manipulate the price? Marami na ‘yun. Use the supply chain as the reason for a decrease in supply," he added.
The senator noted there is no global onion shortage.
He said the Department of Agriculture should also be well-aware of farming seasons.
"Was there a lack of world supply? Hindi po eh because there’s smuggling going on. Therefore, had the DA been studying, you know, the seasons—harvest season [and] cropping season, alam na dapat nila 'yan," Pimentel said.
"Sabi ko nga kahapon, how old is the Department of Agriculture? It’s more than 100 years old as a department," he added.
Onion planting starts in September while harvesting peaks in February.
Pimentel said lawmakers will demand accountability for the onion crisis.
"We will have to demand some accountability kasi may mga mali eh," he said.
He also believed it's about time that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. should appoint a full-time agriculture secretary.
The President appointed himself to the top post of DA when he took office in June.
"I've been calling for that, espousing the need for a regular agricultural secretary to be appointed," he said. "Nothing to lose. It's an additional expert person to help the President focus on agricultural issues and problems."