Senator Francis Escudero has joined the bandwagon in praising President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order easing procedures related to the importation of agricultural products.

Escudero, however, had some misgivings, although he agreed that the President’s Administration Order (AO) 20 will help reduce the prices of foodstuff with the streamlining of agri-importation systems.

“I agree with the President but I would have preferred that more emphasis be placed on local production rather than importation. Importation should only be a temporary solution to the country’s needs for agricultural products such as pork and fish,” he said.

“True and genuine food security is based on the domestic ability and supplies to answer our needs, with importation simply being a stop-gap or interim [measure] while we haven’t achieved food security yet,” he added.

AO 20, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on 18 April, directed the streamlining of procedures and requirements in the licensing of importers, minimizing the processing time of applications for importation, and exempting licensed traders from the submission of registration requirements.

Concerns have been raised that unscrupulous importers might abuse the easing of administrative procedures and the removal of non-tariff barriers. But Escudero expressed confidence in the DA’s capability to address such matters.

“I trust that Secretary (Francis Tiu) Laurel will hold accountable whoever commits abuses, as I know him to be a man of integrity who will not tolerate corruption,” he said.

Non-tariff barriers are policy measures other than customs tariffs that restrict trade, including but not limited to quotas, import licensing systems, regulations and red tape.