MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday said he will not impose a deadline for the probe on the supposed hoarding, smuggling, and price fixing of onions and other agricultural products, as he wants this to be done thoroughly and not half-baked.

• Philippines to import 21,060 metric tons of onions as prices soar: DA exec
• 'Economic sabotage': Marcos orders probe on onion 'cartel'

Marcos, who concurrently sits as agriculture chief one year into office, said he instructed the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter "beyond onions."

"Hindi ako mahilig magbigay ng deadline. Siyempre gusto ko tapusin nila agad pero kailangan tapos. Hindi hilaw. Let them do their investigation," the President said in a chance interview with Palace reporters.

"Kako sa kanila, kailangan malaman ninyo na hindi lamang sa sibuyas kundi sa mga sindikato, maraming sindikato na nag-ooperate pa para habulin na natin, matigil ang kanilang ginagawa," he added.

• Onions among most smuggled products in PH: PNP

He reiterated what the syndicates were doing "amounts to economic sabotage."

"Hindi natin basta papabayaan ito dahil may ginugutom na Pilipino. May namamatay from starvation and poverty na Pilipino dahil sa kanilang ginagawa... tama na 'yan," he added.

In a video message released by the Presidential Communications Office Tuesday, Marcos said he based his order on the findings of a House of Representatives investigation earlier this year on the soaring prices of onions, which were allegedly orchestrated by a cartel.

Prices of onions reached a whopping P700 per kilo in December last year.

• Onion woes 'a demand and supply situation' Marcos says as prices remain high

In February, the Philippine Competition Commission said it had been investigating the possible existence of an onion cartel since November 2022.

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