Senator Cynthia Villar hailed the ratification of the Bicameral Conference Committee report on the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act just before the Congress’ sine die adjournment.

According to Villar, the measure would lessen the hardships of Filipino farmers and consumers. 

The carteling, holding, profiteering, and other corrupt practices will soon be stopped as the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act is closer to becoming a law.

“The measure intends to repeal the seven-year-old Republic Act (RA) No. 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act” and introduce several nefarious acts other than smuggling, such as hoarding, profiteering, cartel of agricultural and fisheries products,” said the Senator.

Villar, principal author and sponsor, says that the measure is an act of self-preservation against the manipulative scheme of economic saboteurs. It is also for the protection of farmers’ livelihood.

"It also protects the State from tax evaders and non-payers of duties. This will ensure the well-being of our agricultural producers, consumers, and the whole economy,” she emphasized.

The Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) No. 2432 or the "Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Bill” in December. President Marcos certified it as urgent.

On March 20, 2024, both Houses of Congress went into a pre-bicam conference for the bill.

Salient features of the Act are as follows:

• The creation of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force directly under the control and supervision of the Office of the President.
• Creation of an Enforcement Group which shall have the authority to visit areas where the agricultural and fisheries products are located on the strength of a Letter of Authority (LoA), issued by the Executive Committee of the Council;
• Creation of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Court under the jurisdiction of the Court of Tax Appeal;
• Creation of a Special Team of Prosecutors from the DOJ for the expeditious prosecution of cases involving agri-economic sabotage;
• Creation under the DA of the Daily Price Index Monitoring Office, established and maintained by the AMAS and the BAR to monitor and report on the prices of enumerated agricultural products in all the regions of country;
• Covered agricultural products: rice, corn, beef, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, other vegetables, fruits, fish, salt, and other aquatic products, in their raw state or which has under gone simple process of preservation, until post-harvest stage of the supply chain; palm oil, palm oleic, raw and refined sugar and tobacco.
• Establishment of the long delayed National Single Window System.
• Also included are : financing of agricultural economic sabotage crimes enumerated in this Act, use of government storage facilities for the purpose of act enumerated herein, and illegal acts of the enforcement group as enumerated in the Act.
• Any person may directly file a criminal complaint with the DOJ Special Team of Prosecutors and/or Administrative Complaint with the appropriate government agency, which shall be verified and supported with affidavits or a Citizen's suit.

Villar's co-authors in the Senate are Senators Robin Padilla, Ramon Revilla Jr., Imee Marcos, Lito Lapid, Raffy Tulfo, Ronald dela Rosa, JV Ejercito, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros and Loren Legarda.