It is high-time for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to appoint a full-time and competent head of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero said.
Escudero said the government can address the urgent challenges faced by the agency, including the administration’s campaign against rice smuggling and hoarding if there is a full-time DA secretary.
The President currently remains the concurrent secretary of the agriculture department.
“Siguro ang unang hakbang para matutukan talaga ang DA ay maglagay na ng permanente at full-time na secretary sa departamentong iyan (The first step that the DA can do is to install a permanent and full-time department secretary),” Escudero said in a recent radio interview.
“Kung mahalaga talaga iyan, kailangang may full-time at dedicated na kalihim at hindi part-time lamang (If that is important, then there should be a full-time and dedicated secretary, and not just a part-time),” the senator further said.
While he understands the President’s desire to keep the position so he can oversee the agriculture sector, there are still too many issues of national concern that he has to attend to as head of state.
“Maganda ang intensyon ng Pangulo. Ang problema ay iisa lang ang katawan niya, dadalawa lamang ang mga kamay niya at ang 24 oras niya ay 24 oras din nating lahat (The President’s intention is good. The problem is he only has one body, two hands and he is working 24 hours the same way others do),” the senator said.
At the same time, Escudero said the government should swiftly act against rice hoarding and smuggling by exposing the names of people, not just the trading companies involved in illegal activities.
It is also imperative for the government to file the appropriate charges against these personalities and companies involved in hoarding and smuggling.
Echoing Sen. Cynthia Villar’s sentiment, the senator lamented how companies involved in such illegal activities can still eventually evade any possible criminal charges.
Under Republic Act 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, rice smuggling and hoarding are classified as economic sabotage which are non-bailable offenses and carry a penalty of life imprisonment.