Palace warns profiteers in typhoon-hit areas

Malacañang on Sunday warned unscrupulous parties against excessively jacking up prices of goods and services in areas affected by recent typhoons Pedring (Nesat) and Quiel (Nalgae). Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Department of Trade and Industry will be monitoring prices in the typhoon-hit areas. "The DTI will be on hand to monitor prices. We do not want anyone taking advantage of the calamity to raise prices," she said on government-run dzRB radio. A report on dzRB had cited information that mineral water was being sold as high as P140 per bottle in flood-hit areas. Floods caused by Pedring continue to swamp areas in Central Luzon such as Pampanga and Bulacan. Valte said DTI monitoring teams are now on the alert for those exploiting the situation. Meanwhile, Valte said the international community has sent help. "I think there are some already that have sent their help through private entities," she said. — LBG, GMA News