SMUGGLED. Officials from the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, and Bureau of Customs inspect the smuggled fresh carrots and white onions worth PHP21.08 million at the Subic Port in Zambales on Sept. 11, 2024. Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee on Thursday (Sept. 12) expressed optimism that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will soon sign the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act into law amid the surge of smuggled agricultural goods intercepted by Philippine authorities this year. (PNA photo by Stephanie Sevillano)
MANILA – Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee on Thursday expressed optimism that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will soon sign the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage bill into law amid the surge of smuggled agricultural goods intercepted by Philippine authorities this year.
The Senate and the House of Representatives ratified the reconciled version of the proposed measure on Aug. 6, 2024.
Once enacted into law, stricter penalties and hefty fines will be imposed against large-scale smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, cartelizing, and other market abuses involving agricultural and fishery commodities considered as economic sabotage.
“We are hopeful that President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. will sign this measure into law soon. Dapat seryosong puksain na ang mga krimeng ito na patuloy na kumikitil sa kabuhayan ng mga local food producers at nagmamanipula ng presyo sa merkado na pabigat lalo sa mga consumer (We need to seriously eliminate these crimes that continue to kill the livelihood of our local food producers, and manipulate market prices that burden consumers)," Lee said in news release.
"Wakasan na ang kademonyohang ito na walang ibang dulot kundi pasakit sa mga Pilipino. Sampolan na ang mga agri smugglers, hoarders, price manipulators, at mga kasabwat sa gobyerno (We must stop these evil deeds that cause hardship to Filipinos. An action must be made to these agri-smugglers, hoarders, price manipulators and their accomplices in government)” he said.
Lee was referring to a series of smuggling cases which have been plaguing the country this year, with authorities from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscating millions of pesos worth of smuggled agricultural products in multiple operations.
These include smuggled agricultural products from China and Taiwan at the Subic Port in Zambales amounting to PHP21.08 million seized by the BOC and DA last Sept. 11, and the 3,200 boxes of smuggled oranges from Thailand worth PHP8.422 million confiscated last week.
Apart from the recent cases, Lee said the PHP5 million worth of suspected smuggled agricultural products in three warehouses in Manila seized in January; at least PHP100 million worth of smuggled frozen meat and agricultural products seized in Kawit, Cavite in June; and PHP50 million worth of onions and other goods from China discovered in Navotas in August.
The smuggled vegetables found in Navotas later tested positive for pesticide residues, heavy metals, and microbiological contaminants. (PNA)
