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., 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 
u'a 
"'?''" 2.1 !:ti -r:-< 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Introduced By: SEN. ANTONIO "SONNY" F. TRILLANES IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Hoarding, especially in times of scarcity, is undoubtedly one of the gravest 
manifestations of human selfishness. As a recognized public evil, it far antedates 
the Christian era and is probably as old as histoy itself . 
Unfortunately, even up to this time, there is actually no law directly 
penalizing hoarding. In order to provide against this practice which has been 
causing untold sufferings upon the Filipino people and which has been very 
rampant in the light of the present acute scarcity andlor shortage of affordable 
prime commodities (particularly rice and flour), it is imperative to properly label 
the same as the grave social evil that it is and then to impose severe penalties 
for its commission. 
This Bill seeks to tag the highly pernicious practice of hoarding and its 
variants, price manipulation and profiteering, as tantamount to economic 
sabotage. Furthermore, the Bill seeks to define the said practices as criminal 
offenses punishable not only by substantial fines but also by incarceration. 
It is the hope of the author that this Bill will be of great help in the effort to 
stamp-out these malevolent business practices and provide much needed relief 
for our people. 
The immediate passage of the Bill is, therefore, imperative. 
&T~)NIO F. TRILLANES IV 
Proverb of Solomon: "He that withholdefh corn, the people shall c q e  him: but blessing shall be upon the 
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head of him fhat selleth if. " (Prov. 12:26) 
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FOURTEENTE CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
DEFINING THE OFFENSES OF HOARDING, PRICE MANIPULATION AND 
PROFITEERING, DECLARING THE SAME TO BE TANTAMOUNT TO 
ECONOMIC SABOTAGE, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. Declaration and State Poliq. - It is hereby declared that offenses of 
hoarding, price manipulation and profiteering with respect to the rice, palay, corn, flour, 
cereals, sugar, powdered milk, infant formula and other essential foodstuff and staple 
food articles and commodities, as defined below, amount to economic sabotage. Hence, 
it is the policy of the State to consider the same as criminal offenses and to severely 
penalize the same. 
Sec. 2. Definition. - The offenses of hoarding, price manipulation and 
profiteering hereby are defined as follows: 
(a) There is hoarding when a trader, wholesaler, miller, distributor, retailer, 
warehouse or similar middlemen of rice, palay, corn, flour, cereals, sugar, powdered 
milk, infant formula and other essential foodstuff and staple food articles and 
commodities, whether licensed or unlicensed by the proper authorities, excessively 
accumulates said commodities and withholds the same from the normal flow and 
distribution of said commodities in the market. Hoarding shall likewise mean the 
keeping or concealing of the subject commodities in amounts or quantities in excess of 
the ordinary demands of trade or business. 
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(b) Price manipulation shall mean the acquisition of the subject commodities with 
the intent of creating, or tending to create, or effecting artificial scarcity thereof in the 
market, in order to alter prices; while - 
(c) Profiteering shall mean cornering or hoarding commodities for the purpose of 
obtaining unjustifiable profits therefrom, even if maximum prices have not been fixed for 
such commodities. 
Sec. 3. Penalties. - Any person found to be engaged in hoarding, price 
manipulation and/or profiteering shall be subjected to imprisonment for a period of not 
less than four (6) years, one (1) day but not more that ten (10) years or a fine of not less 
than one (1) million pesos nor more than ten (10) million pesos, or both; Provided, 
however, That in the case of aliens, in addition to the penalty herein provided, the 
offender shall, upon conviction, and after service of sentence, be immediately deported 
without any further proceedings. 
Whenever any of the offenses described above is committed by a corporation or 
association, the president and each one of the managing directods or managers of said 
corporation or association, or its agent or representative in the Philippines, in case of a 
foreign corporation or association, who shall knowingly permitted or failed to prevent the 
commission of such offenses, shall be held liable as principals thereof. 
Any government official or employee, who by neglect or connivance, has in any 
manner aided or abetted in the violation or circumvention of the provisions of this Act, 
shall be held criminally liable as co-principal under this section and shall, in addition, 
suffer the penalty of perpetual absolute disqualification to hold public office. 
Sec. 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or the applicability of 
such provision to any person or circumstance shall be held invalid, the validity of the 
other provisions of this Act and the applicability of such provisions to other persons or 
circumstances shall not be affected thereby. 
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Sec. 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive issuances, orders and rules and 
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with this Act, or any part thereof, are hereby 
repealed, amended andor modified accordingly. 
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country. 
Sec. 6. Effecthi& Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
its publication in the Official Gazette and two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the 
Approved, 
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