The government is stepping up its crackdown on agricultural smuggling – particularly illegal onion shipments – as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) join forces to enforce the newly enacted Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act. 

This intensified drive follows a string of onion smuggling cases uncovered in Cagayan de Oro, Subic, and Manila, prompting Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to declare war on illicit traders undermining farmers' income and threatening public health.

“We did not give any permits to anybody since early this year. That means all imported onions in markets are smuggled,” Tiu Laurel said during a 18 June inspection at Paco Market in Manila.

“It’s the directive of President BongBong Marcos to stop smuggling – that’s why we now have this law.”

At the heart of the campaign is Republic Act No. 12022, which replaced the 2016 Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act with a tougher legal framework. The law grants broader powers to law enforcers to go after not just traders, but also those complicit in the entire smuggling chain – from brokers to retailers.

Tiu Laurel said the DA will be conducting lab testing on seized onions to screen for public health threats. Past inspections found E. coli and heavy metals in smuggled white onions.

The DA chief said police raids on warehouses are forthcoming, stressing that “our target remains the so-called ‘big fish.’”

Vendors are being urged to cooperate in tracing the source of red onions, which officials say are noticeably cleaner and larger than local varieties – a telltale sign of smuggled goods.

“I’m very concerned. This should be a time of recovery for farmers, but their income is being undermined,” Tiu Laurel added.

As part of the broader enforcement plan, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said the department may also train police officers to differentiate between local and imported produce – not only onions but also pork – to tighten border and market monitoring.