CITY OF SAN FERNANDO The alleged "rampant smuggling" of agricultural products in Subic will undergo investigation.
The House of Representatives' Committee on Ways and Means disclosed it received reports of millions of pesos worth of smuggled goods recently seized at the freeport.
In a statement on Monday, Albay Representative Joey Salceda said probes in 2020, 2021 and 2022 show that there is both technical and actual smuggling in Subic, evidenced by at least four seizures of smuggled agricultural products made in December last year alone.
The lawmaker claimed that there are well-known brands in the meat industry procuring from smugglers and warned that Presidential Decree No. 1612 or the Anti-Fencing Law penalizes buying items that one should know is from crime, such as smuggling.
Salceda said he will recommend changes to the implementing rules and regulations of the said law to complement and reconcile the visitorial powers of the police and the visitorial powers of the Bureau of Customs under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority as well as the Bureau of Customs Port of Subic have yet to issue their statements on the allegations as of press time.