[ LETTER OF INSTRUCTION NO. 88, June 08, 1973 ]

[*]

TO: The Secretary of Agriculture
    And Natural Resources
  The Secretary of National Defense
  The Chief of Constabulary
  The Administrator, National Grains
    Authority
  All National and Local Officials
    Concerned

In furtherance to Letter of Instruction No. 79, dated May 25, 1973, it is hereby ordered that wheat, flour, starch, and animal feeds shall be included within the purview of said Letter of Instruction.

In order to effectively carry out the provisions of this Letter of Instruction, the Secretary of National Defense, the Secretary of agriculture and Natural Resources, the Chief of Constabulary, and the Administrator, National Grains Authority, shall serve as a continuing Coordinating Body observing the following guidelines;
  1. The Philippine Constabulary and the National Grains Authority shall be jointly responsible for the following:
    1. To see to it that only licensed persons, natural or juridical, are engaging in the grains business;
    2. To pinpoint in each province/city, the location of all warehouses and other storage facilities of grains and/or their by-products;
    3. To determine in every province/city, the first five biggest grains producers, millers, traders and processor/ manufacturers;
    4. To conduct an inventory of all grains stocks in warehouses and other storage facilities;
    5. To recommend to the Secretary of National Defense the arrest, investigation and prosecution of all suspected hoarders, price manipulators and violators of the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 4, National Grains Authority Rules and Regulations, Letter of Instruction No. 795 Agency Contract of the Cereal Procurement Program of the National Grains Authority and this Letter of Instruction.

  2. National Grains Authority shall —
    1. Order the sealing of warehouse, mills, manufacturing/processing establishments utilizing grains and/or their by-products as ingredients in the manufacture of their finished products and other grains business establishments violating the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 4, National Grains Authority Rules and Regulations, Letter of Instruction No. 795 Agency Contract of the Cereal Procurement Program of the National Grains Authority and this Letter of Instruction;
    2. With the assistance of the Philippine Constabulary, take over of the operations of dills and warehouses that have been sealed in accordance with the preceding paragraph.
    3. Confiscate and seize grains stocks stored in the warehouses and other storage facilities ordered sealed in the preceding paragraph; and
    4. Confiscate and seize stocks of industrial firms utilizing grains and/or other by-products as ingredients in the manufacture of their finished products if such manufacturers/processors are found overstocking grains in excess of their normal raw material requirements as may be determined by the National Grains Authority.

  3. The Philippine Constabulary shall—
    1. Physically seal such warehouses, mills, industrial firms and/or other storage facilities in coordination with the National Grains Authority;
    2. Provide security to sealed warehouses, mills, industrial firms and other storage facilities containing confiscated or seized stocks by the National Grains Authority; and
    3. Effect the arrest of owners, proprietors, operators as ordered by appropriate authorities.

  4. Special Provision —

    It is hereby further ordered that:

    1. Trading and movement of grains from one province to another shall be under the direct supervision and control of the National Grains Authority with the assistance of the Philippine Constabulary.
    2. The seized or confiscated grains stocks shall be sold by the National Grains Authority to the public at government price and the proceeds thereof shall be turned over to the owner, proprietor or operator after deducting all expenses incurred in connection therewith;
    3. The National Grains Authority and the Philippine Constabulary shall avail of all existing private facilities to include, but not limited to, the mills, driers, trucks, warehouses and manpower;
    4. The Department of National Defense shall, within its capability, provide vehicles for the effective implementation of this Letter of Instruction;
    5. All national and local officials nay be called upon to give or render assistance; and
    6. A coordinating Center shall be set up at Headquarters Philippine Constabulary to monitor all the related activities involved in this program.
Done in the City of Manila, this 8th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Three.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines



[*] Repealed or modified accordingly by Letter of Instruction No. 97