Marcos to sign new anti-smuggling law

SENATE President Francis Escudero said on Tuesday that the proposed Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act was scheduled for signing by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday. Escudero added that the measure, which will address widespread smuggling, profiteering and hoarding of agricultural products, aims to raise the income of farmers and make food more affordable to Filipinos. "Farmers, fisherfolk, livestock and poultry raisers, and legitimate traders have long suffered from smugglers' operations and other individuals and groups manipulating the market. With the new law, we expect to see lower food prices and better incomes for our stakeholders in the agriculture sector," the senator said. "Smugglers, hoarders and profiteers have long served as a monkey wrench to our efforts toward attaining food security. With this law, we are optimistic that more Filipinos will have greater access to affordable and nutritious food," Escudero added. Under the measure, agricultural smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, cartels and financing of these crimes were classified as acts of economic sabotage and thus carry a penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of three times the value of the agricultural and fishery products subject to the crime. For acts that aid in the commission of agricultural economic sabotage, such as transporting and storing smuggled goods, the penalty is a 20- to 30-year jail term and a fine of twice the value of the agricultural and fishery products subject to the crime. Escudero said the measure would protect the public from substandard food unfit for human consumption and plug leakages in the revenue stream. "The law will also result in improved collections by our revenue-collecting agencies, which will translate to delivering more services to our people." An anti-agricultural economic sabotage council would be created to oversee the law's implementation. It would be led by the President or the designated permanent representative, while its members include the secretaries of the Departments of Agriculture, Justice, Finance, the Interior and Local Government, Transportation, and Trade and Industry, as well as the heads of the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Philippine Competition Commission. One representative each from the sectors of sugar, rice, corn, livestock and poultry, vegetables and fruits, fisheries and other aquatic products, as well as tobacco, would be included in the council.