The House super committee that investigated the price manipulation of rice has ordered its secretariat to determine if the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman filed charges against government officials implicated in the scandal.

In a hearing on Tuesday, Quinta supercommittee chairman Joey Salceda stressed the need for accountability as he lamented that the controversy remains unresolved.

The committee, formed under House Resolution 254 introduced by Speaker Martin Romualdez, brought together five panels - committees on Ways and Means, Trade and Industry, Agriculture and Food, Social Services, and the Special Committee on Food Security. It aims to identify gaps in government programs and hold those responsible for market abuses accountable.

The panel investigated the alleged rice anomalies during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, especially the grant of import permits from 2016-2018.

"The biggest case of price manipulation in the agricultural sector remains to be the cornering of import permits from 2016 to 2018," Salceda said.

"No one has been held accountable for the bribery allegations surrounding import permits, or for the NFA's failure to address cartel activities. What happened to the charges that then Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said would be filed in September 2018?" he added.

He said that the private sector control of rice importation and the manipulation of import permits led to a significant price surge in 2018, with rice costing consumers up to ₱8 more per kilo. The total economic loss, according to Salceda, was ₱88.6 billion.

The issue, he said, began to subside after the enactment of the Rice Tariffication Law, which abolished the permit system administered by the National Food Authority.

Salceda expressed concern that it remains unclear who in the private sector benefited from the rice importation permits of the NFA, highlighting how cartels exploited the NFA's diversion of funds meant for palay procurement.

To address these lingering questions, the committee ordered its secretariat to inquire with the DOJ if former NFA Administrator Jason Aquino was ever formally investigated, ask the NFA to provide a list of individuals and corporations granted rice import permits from 2016 to 2018, and request the Bureau of Customs for detailed records of all rice import arrivals during the same period.

Salceda said Romualdez has mandated the inquiry to "address smuggling and price manipulation of basic goods and essential commodities with the end of achieving zero hunger and promoting food security, along with social protection."

"Laws are in place to guarantee that every Filipino family has food on their tables, yet this is still a dream for many. We want to uncover the gaps that we need to plug to achieve this goal, and if needed, the personalities that should be made accountable for making this goal difficult to achieve," he added.