Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Tuesday, August 30 expressed his frustration over the lack of implementation of laws meant to protect and help farmers, particularly sugarcane farmers and other agricultural industry workers.
Ejercito said he is disappointed that the government has yet to fully implement the provisions of Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) of 2015 and the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Law of 2016 even after seven years have passed since their enactment.
The senator made the manifestation during the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the sugar importation mess now hounding the Marcos administration.
“First of all—the Sugarcane Industry Development Act—our goal is not only to enhance the competitiveness of the sugar industry and maximize the utilization of sugarcane resources. But more importantly, to improve the income of farmers, farm workers to improve productivity, product diversification, job generation, and increase efficiency of the sugar mills, and improved the farming methods,” Ejercito said during the hybrid hearing.
“In the same way, the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, Mr. Chairman, aims to boost the productivity of the agricultural sector and protect the filipino farmers and agricultural enterprises from illegal traders and importers…We passed the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling law, classifying large-scale agricultural smuggling as a heinous crime and an economic sabotage,” the senator pointed out.
Yet Ejercito lamented, the government still resorts to importation: “Panay na lang tayo import ng import, kung hindi nagii-smuggle, import ng import (We are always importing, if not smuggling, we always import).”
Embattled Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, however, assured that under his watch, the government has been investing to revitalize the Philippine sugar industry in compliance with the SIDA.
Former Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenigildo Serafica, for his part said, the procurement of the machineries for small sugar farmers has been completed and “that aspect alone is already a breakthrough as far as the small farmers” are concerned “espeecially those that are enrolled in the block farm program.”
Serafica, however, said that in cases when local produce is insufficient in the domestic market “the only tool that can be put on the table is just stop gap measures on importation to stabilize the market and the prices as well.”
“But in my administration, your honor, I have been always consistent on reaching out to the farmers, because at the end of the day they are the most affected when we do on importation program and it's it’s hard for a regulatory agency mandated by law to take care of the farmers and also the welfare of the consuming public,” Serafica said.
“But in this case we always look at it on the downside as long as we see that the domestic production can catch up even before the time it tries to pick its production. We are very considerate on matters on importation, your honor,” he explained.
Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz, on the other hand, assured that for the past 35 days, the agency has been consistently conducting warehouse inspections to check if goods that are stored have paid the corresponding duties and taxes.
Ruiz also defended the BOC’s recent inspections on sugar warehouses saying they are only carrying out their mandate and pursuing the various pending cases on agricultural smuggling.
“So the raid, your honor, this is not a raid, (but an) implementation of the letter of authority. We give the warehouse owner 15 days to present the necessary documents proving that the goods stored in that warehouse have indeed been paid with the lawful duties and taxes, your honor,” Ruiz explained to the panel.
“What we do is when we conduct the visit on this said warehouse if the personnel therein are not able to present any documents. We place a padlock to safeguard the goods inside and let them present within 15 days, your honor, to prove that the goods have been lawfully imported, your honor,” he said.
Ruiz also said that since 2016 up to present they have already filed 486 criminal and administrative cases against smugglers and have arrested and jailed three smugglers in different raids the BOC have conducted.
Asked by Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on the status of the “follow-up” cases on smuggled goods, Ruiz assured the Senate panel that the BOC is in the process of completing the list and committed to submit their report.
Dela Rosa, however, said he hopes the BOC would be transparent about the developments on the prosecution of the cases that the Department of Justice (DOJ) have already filed, and the conviction by the courts, if any.
“I am not imputing malice into these pillars of the criminal justice system but just to clear the doubts of the Filipino people, let us show them the real situation; give us the data,” Dela Rosa stressed.