youngest prelate as new Calapan bishop

CALAPAN CITY – Pope Francis has named the country’s youngest Catholic prelate as the new bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro.

The appointment of 49-year-old Bishop Moises Cuevas, currently the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga, was announced by the Vatican on Thursday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) reported on its news website.

Cuevas, who hails from Batangas City, was ordained a priest of the Zamboanga archdiocese in 2000.

The Holy Father appointed him as the archdiocese’s auxiliary bishop in March 2020.

Cuevas is also the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga while waiting for the installation of new Zamboanga Archbishop Julius Tonel on August 22.

The bishop-elect will succeed Bishop Warlito Cajandig, who was the head of the post from 1989 until 2022.

In November 2022, the Holy See announced that the Pope had “liberated” the 79–year-old Cajandig from his office for health reasons.

Hoarding, smuggling cartels of agri products exposed; Marcos orders probe

Marcos said the findings of the congressional hearings are “sufficient grounds” to initiate an investigation.

“And that is why we are going to be very, very strict about finding these people and making sure that they are brought to justice,” he said.

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. , who is also the agriculture secretary, directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the alleged hoarding and smuggling of agricultural commodities, including onion.

Marcos issued the latest directive after Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, in a memorandum to him, said there is “substantial” evidence that a cartel is behind the surge in onion prices.

“I have just given instructions to the DOJ and the NBI to initiate an investigation into the hoarding, smuggling, (and) price fixing of agricultural commodities,” he said. “And this is stemming from the hearing that we’ve conducted in the House (of Representatives), specifically by Congresswoman Stella Quimbo, and the findings that they came up with.”

Marcos said the alleged cartel’s acts are tantamount to economic sabotage.

Quimbo, who led the Committee on Agriculture and Food’s investigation on the agricultural hoarding issue, tagged the Philippine Vegetable Importers, Exporters and Vendors Association (VIEVA) Group of Companies, Inc. (PVGCI) as the main player in the onion cartel.

The House of Representatives conducted a series of investigations in the wake of the sharp increase in onion prices starting in July 2022, which was attributed to a perceived shortage of supply.

However, data from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Bureau of Plant Industry showed only a modest shortage of approximately 7.56 percent in 2022, which could not justify the significant inflation rates reaching 87 percent in December of that year.

The DOJ said it will collaborate with other government agencies, including the DA and Bureau of Customs.

“Together with these agencies, the Department will create an Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force along with a Special Team of Prosecutors primarily focused on protecting the entire agricultural sector, not only the onion industry,” the DOJ said in a statement.

A team of investigators will collect evidence, conduct interviews, and analyze data to uncover the intricate web of onion smuggling networks, the statement read.

“Once these cases are ready, the DOJ will file charges, ensuring that those responsible will face the full force of the law,” it added.

The DOJ said its investigation encompasses violations of Republic Act No. 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act and will pursue cases related to profiteering, hoarding, and smuggling, which are recognized as acts of economic sabotage.

Quimbo also presented an “Onion Matrix” which involves several firms engaged in the trading and importation of onions and other vegetables acting in connivance with owners of cold storage facilities.

She said responses from cold storage facility owners during the hearings also indicated an ample supply of onions during the period of price surges.

This led to the expośe of the activities of the cartel allegedly engaged in price-fixing through manipulation of stocks, leveraging control over cold storage facilities.

Lilia “Lea” Cruz, the key player of the PVGCI dubbed “Sibuyas (Onion) Queen,” denied her involvement in the importation, saying her participation was limited to trucking and assisting farmers.