Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday, January 6, urged the government to go after smugglers of agricultural commodities and protect local farmers from unwarranted competition.
Gatchalian lamented that authorities have been confiscating smuggled products left and right but no “big fish” has been caught yet.
“The big fish themselves must be harmed in order to stop or reduce the illegal importation of products,” Gatchalian said.
He noted that the Senate Committee of the Whole even released its investigation report in June last year citing certain individuals’ possible involvement in large-scale agricultural smuggling.
“Prices of various farm products have gone up considerably due in part to rampant smuggling of agricultural products that have rendered local farm output practically uncompetitive, which, in turn, undermines the productivity of local farmers,” Gatchalian noted.
“Aside from causing undue disadvantage to local farmers, smuggling also causes losses to the government in terms of unpaid duties and taxes. It is a major deterrent to economic growth, particularly in the countryside where our farmers are located,” he added.
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito also said he wishes to see key personalities involved in the smuggling activities of agricultural products being prosecuted.
Ejercito also stood by the Senate’s report on the result of its probe into the sugar importation mess that recommended graft charges against former agricultural secretary Leocadio Sebastian and former Sugar Regulatory Administration board members Hermenigildo Serafica, Rolan Beltran and Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr. in relation to the release of Sugar Order Import No. 4.
The Office of the President, in its 10-page decision cleared the four officials and said that it finds the issuance of SO No. 4 was done in “good faith” and recognized that there was miscommunication on the part of the people involved and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The SO No. 4 would have paved the way for the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar into the country.
“Because we have conducted numerous hearings, that was the position of the (Senate Blue Ribbon) committee,” Ejercito said in an interview with reporters on Thursday, January 5.
“But my concern at this point, is that somebody be really charged, not only government officials, but real-time smugglers,” he pointed out.
While he has yet to see the OP’s report, Ejercito said it is imperative to look into the rationale and why they came up with such findings.
“Let’s remember the President himself explained that there was a need at that time to import. But unfortunately there was a miscommunication on the quantity,” he said.
“I think that was the part where they got lost in communication or that there was a misunderstanding because he himself acknowledge at that time there was a need (to import) because there is an impending shortage (of sugar),” Ejercito pointed out.
Nevertheless, he said, the Senate’s report on the issue is just recommendatory.
“If it reaches the Office of the Ombudsman, it will have its own life. Let’s see how the Ombudsman will act into it,” Ejercito said.