Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda says that the closure of Subic Port should be "seriously considered" if only to address the alleged rampant agricultural smuggling there.
"Unless Subic Port cleans up its act, we should seriously consider just closing the whole thing down for now, embargoing the import documents, and purging personnel," Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said in a statement Saturday night, Jan. 7.
He floated this after learning about four instances of confiscations of alleged smuggled agricultural products Subic in December 2022 alone. This is on top of the 7,000 metric tons (MT) of smuggled sugar that were also intercepted in Subic in August 2022.
“The brazenness – it wouldn’t happen if the smugglers aren’t confident they have conspirators in the ports,” Salceda said.
He likened his suggestion to the previous Duterte administration's hardline approach to the rehabilitation of Boracay. This move, he said, "might be necessary to clean up Subic of the ecosystem of corruption".
Salceda noted that his committee’s investigations into tobacco and petroleum smuggling in March 2021, and on agricultural smuggling in April 2022 also pointed to Subic as a major conduit and hub for smuggling in the country.
“Even with petroleum smuggling, Subic always figures,” said the Bicolano who vowed to become more active against agricultural smuggling this year given how much it has been hurting the economy.
Salceda further said that the committee’s investigation into abuse of customs bonded warehouses in June 2020 pointed to Subic Port as a frequent channel.
“Basically, it’s the motherload of smuggling in the country. We hit Subic smuggling hard, and we will see improvements in the fight against smuggling.”
Salceda said that the House Committee on Ways and Means will focus its efforts on agricultural smuggling and non-payment of excise taxes on imported products.
“Definitely, a clean sweep, a nuclear option for Subic Port, should be on the table. It won’t be just a management change. Even an angel placed atop Subic Port’s management would struggle to rein in the corruption,” he said.