Daily TribuneThis bill would protect farmers, fisherfolks, as well as livestock, and poultry raisers from the menace of agricultural smuggling, as well as its perpetrators such as cartels, saboteurs, and smugglers.
Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines Inc. Partylist Representative Nicanor Briones
Photo Courtesy of AGAP Partylist/fb
Malacanang is being urged to immediately enact into law the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Bill, which was transmitted to the Palace after securing the approval of the two chambers of Congress. Those pushing the approval of the bill are also wondering why it was not mentioned in his State of the Nation Address last Monday.
“We have all heard about the government’s program for agriculture — the release of swine fever vaccines, and added irrigations, among others. But why this Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act was not mentioned by the President?” Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines Inc. Partylist Representative Nicanor Briones said in a briefing on Wednesday.
“This bill would protect farmers, fisherfolks, as well as livestock, and poultry raisers from the menace of agricultural smuggling, as well as its perpetrators such as cartels, saboteurs, and smugglers. We just want to know,” Briones added.
Certified urgent
In December 2023, senators approved Senate Bill (SB) 2432, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Bill, which repeals Republic Act 10845, otherwise known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.
President Marcos Jr. himself saw the need to immediately pass the measure by certifying it as urgent in his SoNA 2022, citing the rising prices of agricultural products caused by hoarding, smuggling, and other illegal activities.
Under the bill, the crime of agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage is committed when the value of each, or a combination of agricultural and fishery products smuggled by a person is at least P3 million using the daily price index computed at the time the crime was committed.
Private citizens can also file a case against profiteers, smugglers, and hoarders, as there are rewards for the tipster or whistleblower from P1 million to P20 million or 20 percent, whichever is higher.
On Monday, the President said “We mean serious business,” about the government’s drive against smugglers.
Briones stressed that “these strong words would be futile if the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Bill will not be immediately enacted into law.”
Briones was the principal sponsor of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act in the House of Representatives.
But Briones said the bill was yet to be transmitted to the Office of the President.
On 22 May 2024, the Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Bill, contemplating that someone or some groups are blocking the way for the bill from reaching the table of the President.
President Marcos in his SoNA also reported that with modernized customs procedures and heightened enforcement efforts, more than P2.7 billion worth of smuggled agri-fisheries products were seized by the government.
The President also declared that the government is bent on launching other measures to strengthen the drive against smuggling.
“Soon, we will be implementing the pre-border technical verification and cross-border electronic invoicing of imported commodities. This will send a strong message that we mean serious business,” Marcos said.
