Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda on Wednesday proposed the creation of an intelligence unit within the Department of Agriculture (DA) to give more teeth to the government’s campaign against agricultural smuggling.
Salceda, chairman of the powerful Committee on Ways and Means, said formation of what he called Agricultural Trade Intelligence and Investigation Service (ATIIS) would boost the anti-smuggling efforts of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service.
Salceda addressed his draft proposal to DA Secretary William Dar and Undersecretary Fermin Adriano, saying it would give the agency police powers to run after the smugglers.
The Bicol solon asked the DA for its inputs on the matter.
“I have already taken the initiative and we are filing that measure.
But I also want DA to see what works best given their hierarchy and needs,” Salceda said.
Salceda took the move amid reports that P300 billion in palm oil products had been technically smuggled into the Philippine markets. Technical smuggling of palm oil products is being done by declaring the shipment as intended for animal consumption, which is exempted from Value-Added Tax.
Salceda said the ATIIS would be empowered to conduct investigations, apprehend offenders, and seize technically smuggled agricultural products, as well as work with Customs operatives. The proposed unit would also be allowed to file charges against violators of Republic Act No. 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.
“The problem with RA 10845 is that, although it classifies large scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage, the teeth and the strong arm to enforce the law are not specified. The Bureau of Customs is made the lead implementing agency, but even its prosecutorial or enforcement powers are not elaborated enough,” Salceda noted.
“I also want the DA unit to work with a strengthened Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service. That will help close the loopholes technical smugglers exploit,” Salceda stated.
Salceda said giving the DA a unit with police powers to enforce anti-smuggling laws would also ensure that “we still have anti-smuggling measures even after the goods have passed through our ports.”
“It adds another layer of protection from smuggled goods, for our domestic agriculture sector,” Salceda said.
“The unit will also help address the concerns of the DA that the Department of Justice (DOJ) may not have the bandwidth to expeditiously pursue cases filed on agricultural smuggling,” Salceda added.
Adriano earlier told media that they were appealing to the DOJ to expedite the processing of agricultural smuggling cases.
“Similar to how the Bureau of Internal Revenue can pursue cases on tax evaders, the Secretary of Agriculture should be able to pursue cases against agricultural smugglers,” Salceda said.
“Agricultural smuggling is a serious, existential threat to local agriculture and food security. We cannot allow some gaps in the law to prevent us from fighting the problem.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Sharon Garin joined the clamor for immediate investigation into the unabated agricultural smuggling in the country.
“You cannot argue with data. Smuggling is economic sabotage especially against our farmers,” Garin said.
She also welcomed the involvement of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) the drive against agricultural smuggling, notably palm oil.
“Unscrupulous traders and the officials who are coddling them should be punished to the full extent of the law. We are losing a lot of dutiable taxes because of misdeclaration of shipments including palm oil declared as animal feeds to avoid paying tariffs. These are later converted and processed as vegetable cooking oil inside the country,” she stressed.