Senator Kiko Pangilinan formally opens a Senate investigation into the rampant agricultural smuggling in the country, seeking to hold smugglers and profiteers fully accountable and warning that the continuous failure to uphold the anti-agricultural smuggling law undermines food security and emboldens criminal networks to profit at the expense of the nation.
The veteran legislator led the Second Public Hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform joint with the Committees on Ways and Means and Finance.
Pangilinan, who chairs the Committee on Agriculture and has championed food security for decades, lamented the similarities of the anomalous flood control projects with the country’s long-standing problems with agriculture smuggling.
“Ang pagbaha at ang krisis sa pagkain ang sobrang nagpapahirap sa karaniwang Pilipino.”
“Maraming pagka-halintulad ang paulit-ulit na pagbaha dito sa Metro Manila at ang krisis sa pagkain,” the seasoned lawmaker said. “Bukod sa nakaugat sa pangungurakot at kawalang-hustisya, ang pagbaha at ang krisis sa pagkain ang sobrang nagpapahirap sa karaniwang Pilipino.”
“Karaniwang Pilipino na humihiling lamang ng ligtas na mga kalye, patas na presyo, at pagkaing abot kamay sa mesa,” the senator added.
If the country continues to allow unscrupulous rice traders and smugglers to dictate the prices of food because of the rampant price manipulation, hoarding, profiteering, and unfair trade practices, Filipinos will continue to suffer from the high prices of food and farmers will remain one of the country’s most impoverished sectors.
“Sinasabotahe rin nila ang pambansang seguridad, inuubos ang kaban ng gobyerno, at lalong nawawalan ng tiwala ang mamamayan sa estado.”
“Kapag binaha ng mga smuggler ang ating mga pamilihan ng mga mura at hindi nabubuwisan at hindi fit for consumption na mga kalakal, hindi lang nila sinisira ang kabuhayan ng mga magsasaka,” Pangilinan stressed. “Sinasabotahe rin nila ang pambansang seguridad, inuubos ang kaban ng gobyerno, at lalong nawawalan ng tiwala ang mamamayan sa estado.”
Citing government records, he said there was an attempt to bring in P143 million worth of agricultural products through the Port of Subic this year alone.
And in July, 10 containers declared to contain processed foods were instead found to have carrots, white onions, and frozen mackerel worth around P100 million—well above the P10-million threshold of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, which makes the offense non-bailable.
Those found guilty will also face the full extent of the law: life imprisonment and penalties up to five times the amount of the smuggled goods.
“Malupit ang batas sa mga agricultural smuggler dahil may pagkilala ang batas na ang pananabotahe sa ating suplay ng pagkain ay hindi simpleng pagbaluktot ng batas,” he explained. “May pagkilala tayo na ang pananabotahe sa ating food supply ay krimen na sapok sa sikmura.”
Yet, Pangilinan raised concerns that the actual reported amount of these smuggling attempts is being low-balled to protect smuggling organizations.
“Ang tanong, meron na bang nasampahan na ng kaso na non-bailable? Wala pa. In the end, this hearing will move or will push for the full implementation of the laws of the anti-agriculture economic sabotage law with your cooperation,” he concluded.
