LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said Sunday the Senate committee on agriculture will be conducting an inquiry this month relative to the unabated smuggling of agricultural crops that have caused the drop in the prices of locally produced vegetables, which has greatly affected the sources of livelihood of Filipinos engaged in the agriculture sector.
Ejercito revealed the committee chaired by Senator Cynthia Villar will be appraised by the Bureau of Customs regarding the agency’s accomplishment in curbing the smuggling of agricultural crops, one year after the implementation of the anti-smuggling of agricultural crops law.
He warned BoC officials to be realistic about their report on if there were smugglers of agricultural crops who were apprehended and charged with economic sabotage, pursuant to the provisions of the law, because the Senate “would be constrained to make drastic actions against them if it will be uncovered that they were remiss in the performance of their duties.”
Provincial officials led by Gov. Crescencio Pacalso and concerned farmers associations brought to the attention of Ejercito during his visit here Saturday the unabated smuggling of vegetables, which are openly sold in Divisoria and Cebu and being shipped through the Cagayan de Oro port. These compete directly with locally produced crops, which results in the drop in their buying prices.
Based on evidence obtained by local farmers, Chinese carrots that were smuggled into the country took four months before they were rotten, while Chinese potatoes that were sneaked into the various ports germinated instead of rotting after three months of being stocked by one of the trading associations, proof of the unabated smuggling of agricultural crops in the country.
“It will be unacceptable and unforgivable if BOC officials will report to us that no smuggler was arrested or charged,” Ejercito said.
“Something must be done to erring BoC officials who were actually remiss in their duties in allowing the smooth entry of smuggled agricultural crops to the country, which had directly affected the source of livelihood of our farmers.”
Allowing the free entry of smuggled agricultural crops to flood the country’s market is considered as economic sabotage, the lawmaker stressed, because it will significantly affect the source of livelihood of nearly 60 percent of the country’s population, which is producing agricultural crops.
Other crops that are suffering from depressed prices owing to smuggled crops include garlic, onions and even rice, the senator added, “thus, the need for BOC officials to do a lot of explaining on their failure to put a stop in the illegal activity.”
Ejercito urged farmers to counter the effects of smuggling by mounting an information and education campaign that will depict that smuggled vegetables are being injected with poisonous preservatives that could compromise the health of consumers, while fresh vegetables are produced by the country’s agriculture sector.