3 nabbed for selling overpriced alcohol in Bacolod City

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – A Bacolod resident’s complaint about overpriced bottles of alcohol led to the arrest of three employees of an aesthetics store on Tuesday, March 24.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation-Bacolod office set up an entrapment operation on Tuesday afternoon after the resident reported buying 2 250 ml bottles of ethyl alcohol from the store for P90.

It was double the P41 price ceiling set by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to ensure that sellers will not take advantage of the high demand for ethyl alcohol amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

Medical experts strongly urge people to wash their hands thoroughly with warm water and soap to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Using 70% disinfectant ethyl alcohol augments the recommended hand hygiene, which led to people stocking up on it since the coronavirus exploded worldwide. (READ: ‘Customer not always right’: Alcohol hoarders should be sent out of stores, says DTI)

The suspects, all residents of Barangay Tangub, work at L-Power Skin Care and Beauty Enhancer located on Galo Street.

NBI- Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said that the sellers and the store’s owner will be charged for violation of Republic Act 7581, or the Price Act. (Hoarding, overpricing would lead to criminal charges, warns DTI)

Aside from arresting the sellers, the NBI agents also recovered 37 gallons of ethyl alcohol, and 104 bottles of alcohol in 250 ml size.

Baldovino said that the recovered alcohol will also be tested to determine its content. He said that additional cases will be filed if the alcohol was illegally produced.

Meanwhile, Baldovino reminded the sellers not to take advantage of the difficult situation brought by the coronavirus pandemic.

He said that the agency continues to accept complaints on overpricing and hoarding of commodities. – Rappler.com