Government seized P11.6 billion worth of smuggled agricultural products in 67 operations during a 17-month period, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to intensify the campaign against acts deemed as economic sabotage.
The stepped up drive also led to the filing of administrative or criminal complaints against 218 persons, which Malacañang assured will be pursued relentlessly until “justice is served”.
“The massive haul of farm and fisheries contraband from February 2025 to July this year demonstrates the resolve to shield growers from unfair competition as well as consumers from unsafe food,” Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said.
“We should not let degraded food meant for dumpsters in other countries end up in our own tables.”
“Smugglers do not only evade duties but food safety checks. We should not let degraded food meant for dumpsters in other countries end up in our own tables,” Recto stressed.
He said fears of an El Niño dry spell in the coming months has whetted the appetite of smugglers.
“Crisis creates opportunities, and when water shortage looms, the smugglers see this as a cue to flood the market with their illicit products.”
“Crisis creates opportunities, and when water shortage looms, the smugglers see this as a cue to flood the market with their illicit products,” Recto noted.
He clarified that ramping up domestic production remains the main policy pursued in achieving food security.
“Pero kung may kulang, i-angkat lang batay sa masusing pag-aaral ang tama – tamang bilang at sa tamang panahon. Sakto, hindi sobra. At hindi sa panahon ng anihan, pero sa panahong kulang ang supply,“ Recto said.
“The President wants escalation on two fronts. The first is to boost production, more so that every year we are adding 1.5 million to our population, and that is the demographic reality. And the second is to curb smuggling because it disincentives local production,” he pointed out.
Republic Act 12022, the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, which the President signed into law in September 2024, broadens punishable acts and slaps higher fines and longer jail terms for those who violate them.
Pursuant to this law, a Special Team of Prosecutors has been created as a dedicated group to pursue violators. It has recently secured the conviction of seven smugglers of tobacco products.
Under RA 12022, tasked to oversee the “whole of nation approach” in the anti-smuggling crusade is the multisectoral Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Council.
To boost its staffing, 49 new positions with “multidisciplinary skills” have been authorized by the Department of Budget Management to add to its full time secretariat, which is led by Retired Police Major General Leonora Camarao as Executive Director.
The council, Recto said, “will not be a collection of agencies manned by paper pushers that meets periodically to pore over reports but one that dynamically operates all days of the week.”
“One particular challenge is how to tap information technologies to plug our porous borders along our long coastline, and render this inhospitable to smugglers,” he said.
“The administration is moving from sporadic crackdowns to a sustained, intelligence-driven campaign against the networks behind agricultural smuggling and other forms of economic sabotage,” Recto explained.
“Ayon sa utos ng Pangulo, lalo pa nating palalakasin ang enforcement machinery. Walang lungga ang smuggling sa isang bansang nagtatanggol sa kabuhayan ng Pilipino,” he added.
