Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Region 7 (CIDG-7) arrested four individuals in Sibulan, Negros Oriental on Thursday for selling substandard and overpriced N95 face masks.
CIDG-7 provincial team leader Police, Lt. Col. Ariel T. Huesca said the four, three males and one female, were arrested during an entrapment operation led by Lt. Alfredo Logarta at about 2 p.m. in Barangay Boloc-boloc of the said town.
They were identified as Roseshel Bartolata and Neil Bryan Bartolata from Barangay Jugno, Amlan town and Junrey Sido and Mark Clifford John Sido of Poblacion 8, Tanjay City.
As part of the entrapment operation, a transaction was made for the delivery of 1,000 pieces of N95 face masks with a market value of PHP125,000. The CIDG said, however, what was delivered were generic and substandard.
Charges for violation of Republic Act 7581 or the Price Act as amended by RA 10623 and estafa are now being readied against the suspects.
The CIDG, along with other units of the police, are tasked to assist concerned agencies in monitoring basic commodities including agricultural products.
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation is also on the lookout against unscrupulous individuals and stores selling overpriced alcohol and medical supplies.
NBI special investigator Coco Lastimoso said a known drug store along Perdices Street here was reported to be selling alcohol at a high price without issuing receipts.
Reports received by the NBI said the store owner himself is selling the alcohol from his car but not inside the store. (Juancho Gallarde)
