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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
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Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
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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 history 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 and/or 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. 
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It is the hope of the author that this measure 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 measure is, therefore, imperative 
AN~:t:~&:IANES TV 
Senator 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
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JUL -4 m 
1 :17 
S. NO. 
492 
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Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trilianes IV 
ANACT 
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 (i{ Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Declaration of State Policy. - It is hereby declared that offenses of 
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hoarding, price manipulation and profiteering with respect to the rice, palay, corn, flour, cereals, 
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sugar, powdered milk, infant formula and other essential foodstuff and staple food articles and 
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commodities, as defined below, amount to economic sabotage. Hence, it is the policy of the State 
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to consider the same as criminal offenses and to severely penalize the same. 
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SEC. 2. Definition. - The offenses of hoarding, price manipulation and profiteering 
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hereby are defined as follows: 
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(a) There is hoarding when a trader, wholesaler, miller, distributor, retailer, warehouse or 
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similar middlemen of rice, palay, corn, flour, cereals, sugar, powdered milk, infant 
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formula and other essential foodstuff and staple food articles and commodities, whether 
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licensed or unlicensed by the proper authorities, excessively accumulates said 
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commodities and withholds the same from the normal flow and distribution of said 
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commodities in the market. Hoarding shall likewise mean the keeping or concealing of 
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the subject commodities in amounts or quantities in excess of the ordinary demands of 
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trade or business. 
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(b) Price manipulation shall mean the acquisition of the subject commodities with the 
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intent of creating, or tending to create, or effecting artificial scarcity thereof in the 
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market, in order to alter prices; while -
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(c) Profiteering shall mean cornering or hoarding commodities for the purpose of 
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obtaining unjustifiable profits therefrom, even if maximum prices have not been 
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fixed for such commodities. 
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SEC. 3. Penalties. - Any person found to be engaged in hoarding, price manipulation 
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andlor profiteering shall be su1)jected to imprisonment for a period of not less than four (6) years, 
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one (I) day but not more than ten (10) years or a fine of not less than one (I) million pesos nor 
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more than ten (10) million pesos, or both; Provided, huwever, That in the case of aliens, in 
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addition to the penalty herein provided, the offender shall, upon conviction, and after service of 
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sentence, be immediately deported without any further proceedings. 
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Whenever any of the offenses described above is committed by a corporation or 
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association, the president and each one of the managing directorls or managers of said 
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corporation or association, or its agent or representative in the Philippines, in case of a foreign 
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corporation or association, who shall knowingly permitted or failed to prevent the commission of 
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such offenses, shall be held liable as principals thereof. 
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Any government official or employee, who by neglect or connivance, has in any manner 
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aided or abetted in the violation or circumvention of the provisions of this Act, shall be held 
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criminally liable as co-principal under this section and shall, in addition, suffer the penalty of 
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perpetual absolute disqualification to hold public office. 
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SEC. 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or the applicability of such 
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provision to any person or circumstance shall be held invalid, the validity of the other provisions 
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of this Act and the applicability of such provisions to other persons or circumstances shall not be 
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affected thereby. 
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SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive issuances, orders and rules and 
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regulations contrary to or inconsistent with this Act, or any part thereof, are hereby repealed, 
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amended and/or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 6. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
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publication in the Official Gazette and two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the country. 
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Approved, 
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