After his Senate term ends on June 30, Senator Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson is hoping to start the next chapter of his life story - by contributing to food security through a new endeavor. Lacson and some friends, including former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel "Manny" Piñol, have organized themselves...
The Bureau of Customs - Port of Zamboanga (BOC-POZ) has seized P9.6 million worth of smuggled cigarettes from a fishing boat traversing the waters of Manalipa, Zamboanga City, authorities reported Friday, June 24. (Photo courtesy of Bureau of Customs - Port of Zamboanga) The BOC-POZ, through its...
The Bureau of Customs, through the Manila International Container Port-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (MICP-CIIS) and Enforcement and Security Service (MICP-ESS), together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) inspected a warehouse in Valenzuela City for suspected smuggled...
Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III today, April 25, said a vote for the Lacson-Sotto tandem in the May 9 elections would be a vote equivalent to the protection of the agriculture industry and its sectoral players and the prosecution of vegetable smugglers and their backers. Sotto said that if he...
In pursuit of transparency and border security, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) revealed Friday, April 22, that it lodged 30 criminal and administrative charges against erring importers and customs brokers who profusely violated customs laws, rules and regulations. Bureau of Customs The BOC, through...
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda thinks that the Department of Justice (DOJ) should push the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to be more aggressive in prosecuting cases of large-scale agricultural smuggling. Rep. Joey Salceda (Photo from Joey...
The Senate Committee of the Whole looks forward to the appearance of Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar to its next hybrid hearing to dispel suspicions that he is against the interest of Filipino farmers. The committee, chaired by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, had...
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap on Tuesday, April 12 said he is staking his life for the sake of the 130,000 Benguet farmers whose livelihood is being threatened by unabated agricultural smuggling. Yap said this in his virtual appearance before the Senate Committee of the Whole hybrid hearing...
Presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday, April 12 asked the Department of Agriculture (DA) whether or not charges have been filed against importers of African Swine Flu (ASF)-infected pork products. Lacson fielded the question after scrutinizing the 2021 Department of Trade and...
Senator Cynthia Villar on Tuesday, April 12 asked why no one has been jailed for agricultural smuggling despite the big volume of smuggled goods being intercepted by the Bureau of Customs (BOC). Villar, chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture and Food Committee, asked the question Tuesday, April 12...
The names of four alleged smugglers supposedly protected by government officials were revealed Tuesday, April 12 during a Senate Committee of the Whole hybrid public hearing on the alleged widespread agriculture produce smuggling that is causing damage to the country’s multi-billion peso...
Human rights lawyer Jose Manuel 'Chel Diokno' has joined those who express dismay over the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) failure to investigate the alleged rampant smuggling of agricultural products in the country. Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno (Photo from Diokno’s campaign team) Diokno,...