SENATE President Vicente Sotto III yesterday urged his colleagues to exercise their oversight function over the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and look into its anti-smuggling operations against agricultural products.
Sotto said his office has been monitoring press releases issued by the BOC and have tracked down 25 operations from May to November 18 this year involving some P1 billion worth of smuggled agricultural products.
Sotto said it was apparent that the BOC has failed to stop the smuggling of agricultural products, adding that this could only be possible with the help of corrupt bureau officials and personnel.
He noted that the agency is still hounded by allegations of conniving with smugglers, red tape, port congestion, extortion, and under the table transactions.
Sotto reiterated that smuggling has adverse impacts on farmers since smuggled products flood the local markets, effectively bumping off locally produced products.
“We documented 25 operations amounting to approximately P1 billion. If we are to base the efficacy of our fight against smuggling on the press releases of the Bureau of Customs, it seems like we are on top of the issue. But the big problem, mukhang hanggang PR lang talaga ang pagsugpo sa agricultural products smuggling (it seems that measures to stop smuggling of agricultural products is limited to only press releases),” Sotto said in a privileged speech.
“As legislators, we strive to pass laws to modernize the agricultural sector in the hopes of uplifting the lives of our farmers. But all these efforts are futile if smuggling and corruption to continue to reign, killing and destroying our local agricultural industry and robbing our farmers a decent living,” he added.
He said there is a need to stop the smuggling activities for the sake of local farmers.
