BY WENDELL VIGILIA and RAYMOND AFRICA
BENGUET Rep. Eric Yap warned yesterday urged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to act fast in filing criminal cases against the consignees of shipments of agricultural products worth P20.2 million that were believed to be smuggled and intercepted by customs authorities at the port of Subic last week.
On the other hand, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian will lead an ocular inspection today to assess how the BOC is fairing in its fight against smuggling amid its modernization program.
Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate ways and means committee, will be joined by members of the Senate Tax Study and Research Office in the activity scheduled at 9 a.m.
“Napansin natin na patuloy pa din ang pagpasok ng mga smuggled goods at kailangang matugunan ang problemang ito lalo na ngayong magpapasko at dagsa ang mga mamimili (We have noticed that smuggled goods continue to enter the country and we need to address this especially this Christmas season),” Gatchalian said.
Yap warned that if the BOC continues to drag its feet in running after the brains behind the smuggling of agricultural products, smuggling will continue unabated in the country.
He said the BOC has to file “airtight, non-bailable cases against big-time smugglers of agricultural goods to send a strong message against illegal traders who continue to defy the law and deprive Filipino farmers of their livelihood.”
“The amount of agri products that almost got out of the port and be sold at local markets was P20.193 million. More than that would have been the estimated loss of our farmers who are toiling to bring these agri produce to our tables,” Yap, who represents a major vegetable-producing province, said in a statement.
Yap said he will also raise the issue before the House committee on agriculture and food in pushing for the swift approval of his measure, House Bill No. 319, which seeks to increase the penalties on vegetable smuggling.
Last week, the BOC-Port of Subic, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA), intercepted a shipment brought in by Veneta Goods Trading which were declared as assorted foodstuff but contained frozen carrots instead.
Another seized shipment was consigned to Lalavy Aggregates Trading, which were declared as lobster balls and crabsticks, but the BOC discovered that they contained fresh red and white onions.
“Nothing will happen if all we hear are such reports but with no one ending up in jail. No smuggler is convicted even if blatantly and illegally bring in agri products to our country.
They’re not even trying to conceal these shipments anymore. Why? Because no one is jailed,” Yap said.
Under Republic Act 10845, large-scale agricultural smuggling, such as the illegal importation of sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetables worth at least P1 million is considered as economic sabotage.
“We are urging the BOC to file a case against those involved in the entry of these container shipments. Let’s give smugglers a sample, show them that our laws have teeth. This is more than P1 million so it should be a no-bail case. Name all of them, charge and jail them,” he said.
Yap also urged the House leadership to act on House Resolution No. 108 that he filed with Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, which calls for a legislative inquiry into the continued smuggling of agricultural products.
He vowed to file a separate resolution seeking a congressional investigation into the Subic port smuggling to ensure that the suspects will be held accountable.
Gatchalian said once smuggling is stopped, the government can raise much-needed funds to finance its projects as he expressed optimism that the agency’s ongoing modernization program would help arrest the rising number of smuggling incidents in the country.
“The BOC’s revenue collection performance would improve if the smuggling of various goods is effectively addressed,” he added.
Gatchalian said a major component of the agency’s modernization program focuses on transitioning from a largely manual and paper-based organization to a modernized customs agency, achieving global standards and full modernization by 2024.
