Senator Kiko Pangilinan likened agricultural smuggling to the flood control corruption currently gripping the country after slamming government agencies for failing to prosecute smugglers of agricultural products despite billions of pesos worth of seized smuggled goods.
In his opening statement during the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform’s inquiry into the rampant agricultural smuggling, Pangilinan questioned how smugglers and their organizations continue to escape jail time because of the government’s failure to identify the owners and consignees of the smuggled goods.
“Tulad ng sa korapsyon sa flood-control projects, bilyon-bilyon din ang ninanakaw sa bayan dahil sa smuggling.”
“Tulad ng sa korapsyon sa flood-control projects, bilyon-bilyon din ang ninanakaw sa bayan dahil sa smuggling,” the veteran legislator said. “Noong nakaraang hearing, simpleng tanong: bakit walang mga smuggler o miyembro ng sindikato ng smuggling ang nakakulong?”
“Bakit bilyon ang nasamsam pero wala pa ring nakukulong na big-time na sindikato at smuggler?” the seasoned lawmaker asked, citing the Anti-Agriculture Economic Sabotage Law that makes smuggling of agricultural products worth P10 million above a non-bailable case with penalties of imprisonment.
The Senate agriculture committee chair pointed out how several operations–worth millions to billions of pesos–by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) led to the non-filing of cases.
“Hirap ma-trace sino ang dapat managot. Walang may-ari ng ari-arian o consignee ang humarap sa awtoridad. Tila namatay na at mukhang naging multo. Ghost project, ghost cases,” the senator said.
“Tila namatay na at mukhang naging multo. Ghost project, ghost cases.”
He also lamented that agricultural workers–farmers and fisherfolk–are the most heavily affected by the illegal importation of agricultural goods.
“Ang mga tapat na manlalaro — ang ating mga local food manufacturers, ang ating mga disente at maayos na importer, ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda — ay natatalo kapag ‘di patas ang laro,” Pangilinan stressed.
During the hearing, he grilled companies and brokers involved in several cases of smuggling agricultural products, and expressed disappointment over the massive corruption and deception in the importation process.
