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JV Ejercito blasts officials conniving with importers, smugglers

February 14, 2023

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito slammed agriculture and customs officials allegedly conniving with importers and smugglers for promoting excessive importation and jacking up the price of agricultural goods.

In an interview, Ejercito said these officials should be ashamed since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has already taken the initiative to lead the country’s agricultural portfolio through the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“Nasa discretion ng officials yung pagbibigay ng importation permit. Kitang-kita natin na may sabwatan sa Bureau of Customs (BOC), sa importers, sa mga traders. Parang may timing, kung kailan sila magpapasok ng importation, kung kailan nila ihohoard,” he said.

“Itong mga DA officials, itong mga agencies, mahiya-hiya naman sila na habang Pangulo na nga ang nandiyan, wag naman nila pahiyain, di ba? BOC, DA, tingin ko ‘yan ang mga nagkakakontsaba diyan,” he added.

The lawmaker from San Juan said these officials, along with large-scale smugglers, should be punished under Republic Act No. 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Law, which he principally authored during his first term in the Senate.

“Sana nga may masampolan dito. Kaya nga economic sabotage, para magtanda sana. Ang problema, walang nakukulong at walang nakakasuhan,” he said.

Ejercito said government lenience on importation and inaction on large-scale smuggling has emboldened criminal syndicates to engage in large-scale profiteering and hoarding and participate in agricultural cartels.

He recently filed Senate Bill No. 1688, which seeks to impose stricter penalties on these exploitative practices.

Once passed, profiteering, hoarding, and participating in cartels of sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetables in the amount of P1 million or rice in the amount of P10 million will be considered as forms of economic sabotage and punishable by imprisonment of not less than 17 years.

“Kaya ginawa nating economic sabotage, kasi pinagkakaitan nila ang ating mga magsasaka ng hanapbuhay. Pag wala silang kita, wala silang purchasing power. Yung ekonomiya ay di rin tatakbo nang maganda,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Ejercito urged newly appointed Customs chief Bienvenido Rubio to ramp up the BOC’s operations against agricultural smuggling.

“Malaki ang magiging papel na kanyang gagampanan para itong smuggling, itong too much importation, at yung mga nakakalusot ay kanyang mabantayan,” he said.