President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked the public to report agricultural commodity smuggling and hoarding to authorities as his administration eyes stiffer penalties for agricultural economic sabotage.

As the Chief Executive led another round of rice distribution in Capiz, Marcos told the Filipinos not to be afraid of reporting the smugglers to authorities if they had information against those involved in these transactions.

"If you know someone involved in these types of transactions, do not be afraid to report them to the authorities," Marcos said.

"No matter how big their syndicate is, just like the smuggler we apprehended at the Zamboanga pier last August, they can't even compare to our united strength," he added.

Marcos also asked the public to help the government safeguard the local market from smugglers and hoarders, who continue to manipulate the prices of agricultural goods.

The chief executive also assured that his administration is already coordinating with legislators to amend the Republic Act No. 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, and impose severe sanctions on these perpetrators and their accomplices.

"We are also coordinating with Congress to amend certain laws to officially classify agricultural economic sabotage as a crime and to increase the penalties for it," he said.

Marcos meets Mar Roxas

Meanwhile, former Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas joined Marcos as they distributed rice in Capiz.

Marcos said Roxas, a relative of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, is his "long-time friend" despite sharing different ideas of the political spectrum.

"Mar Roxas is here. You might not know this, but Mar and I have been friends for a long time, and even though we sometimes don't see eye to eye in politics, we spent a long time together in New York," Marcos said.

"I haven't talked to him in a long time… we had the opportunity to speak here in Capiz," the President added.

Roxas and Marcos had been at odds with each other in several instances in the past.

When Marcos said he was running for President in 2016, he told Roxas – who was the Interior and Local Government secretary at that time – to quit his job.

Roxas is the party mate of former Vice President Leni Robredo, who is running against Marcos for President in 2022, and the late President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, whose family is in competition with the Marcoses.