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Manibusan: Increasing prices after a typhoon is illegal
It is illegal to increase prices after a typhoon, Attorney General Edward Manibusan said yesterday.
Manibusan, however, stated that he did not receive any information about stores increasing the prices of their commodities in the wake of Typhoon Dolphin.
Some people have expressed concern in social media about alleged increases in the price of butane gas in some stores after the typhoon.
Manibusan cited CMC 5105 subsection X and Y, which identifies certain unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce that are declared to be unlawful.
Subsection X refers to increasing the cost of merchandise that has been previously been placed into the stream of commerce by having been offered to the public for sale at a specific price, indicated by the price tag or marking placed on the goods.
Subsection Y refers to increasing the price of goods, solely on the basis of a shortage of supply caused by natural disaster or any other emergency situation.
There was no mention about penalties for violating this law.
