PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday ordered the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to further intensify the implementation of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act following the confiscation of P178.5 million worth of smuggled frozen mackerel.
The President, during the inspection of the seized fish products at the Port Area in Manila, stressed the need for stronger actions against smugglers who he said continue to disrupt the supply chain, which significantly impacts prices of agricultural products in the local market.
“As I said, this is the first case under the new law, the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act. I’ve spoken to the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Agriculture and told them we have to keep going; we need to strengthen this,” Marcos said.
The President inspected some of the 21 container vans containing boxes of frozen mackerel that were intercepted by the BOC’s Intelligence and Investigation Service and the Manila International Container Port (MICP) on September 28 and 29.
The container vans, each of which contained 58,800 cartons of frozen mackerel, were shipped from China. The BOC has requested not to disclose the name of the consignee pending the completion of its ongoing probe.
Authorities confiscated the frozen fish shipment for violating DA Memorandum Order No. 14, s. 2024, which suspended the issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances (SPSICs) for imported round scads, mackerels, and bonitos, effectively banning their entry to the country.
The smuggled fish products will be distributed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to displaced families who are still staying in evacuation centers.
Prior to the inspection, the DSWD led by Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian and the DA led by Secretary Francisco P. Tiu-Laurel Jr. signed a Deed of Donation and Acceptance, which provides for the distribution of the frozen mackerels to those affected by recent typhoons, those in jails, pubic hospitals and care facilities.
After the inspection, the boxes of frozen mackerels were dispatched for distribution in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and the CALABARZON.
The President assured beneficiaries that the fish are safe to eat, citing the declaration from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) that these are fit for human consumption
“Our Christmas gift to you is different this year. Instead of ham and roasted pork, we are giving you fish, mackerel so these would not go to waste,” Marcos said in mixed Filipino and English.
Each beneficiary will receive about two kilos of fish.
Meanwhile, the BOC said that from 2002 to November 2024, it seized P5.87 billion worth of smuggled agricultural products and filed 250 cases involving agricultural products worth P8.59 billion from 2018 to 2024.
The bureau said it had won four convictions for illicit importation of agricultural products.
