Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said the government should muster enough political will and sincerity to genuinely address the rampant smuggling of agricultural products, particularly rice, sugar, and vegetables, and bring to justice the masterminds and ringleaders of smuggling syndicates in the country.
“Smuggling is an organized crime. Smugglers, hoarders, and unscrupulous traders could be related. We believe that the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) know who are behind the large-scale smuggling operations but they not acting decisively to catch the criminals.”
“Hindi sapat ang mga crackdown at raids lang ng mga warehouse. Kailangan na ma-identify, mahuli, masampahan ng kaso at makulong ang mga kabilang sa sindikato ng smuggling. Even if there is a stricter law on smuggling and economic sabotage, if law enforcers and concerned agencies would remiss on their task to catch smugglers then smuggling would continue and even proliferate,” according to KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos.
Marcos certified as urgent measures amending the agricultural smuggling bill that will define the crimes of agricultural economic sabotage, provide penalties and create an inter-agency council to implement the law.
This month, the BOC seized more than 42,000 sacks of rice worth P44 million from a warehouse in Zamboanga City, another 36,086 sacks of imported rice from Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar worth P90.2 million from a warehouse in Tondo, Manila, and some P40-million worth of imported rice from Vietnam, Thailand, and China were seized in Las Pinas City. The smuggled rice seized in Zamboanga was forfeited and turned over to the DSWD and was part of the smuggled rice distributed by Marcos Jr to 4Ps beneficiaries.
“Araw-araw may nasasabat na mga kontrabando at smuggled na bigas ang Customs pero walang nakakasuhan at nakukulong. Corruption within the bureaucracy abets smuggling. Dapat na linisin din ang mga ahensya para maalis ang mga kasabwat at protektor ng smugglers sa gobyerno, laluna sa DA at Customs,” Ramos added. “Hindi rin ibig sabihin na kapag naipamahagi na ang smuggled na bigas ay hahayaan na lang ang mga smugglers. Dapat talagang matigil ang smuggling na gawain din ng kartel sa bigas,” the peasant leader said.
