MANILA – To protect local farmers, the Department of Agriculture (DA), in partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP), vowed to intensify collaboration efforts on the agricultural smuggling crackdown nationwide.
This came after the DA reported the presence of "smuggled" red onions during the market inspection at the Paco public market in Manila on Wednesday.
In a media interview, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA has not issued any sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC) for the importation of red onion.
This means the onions available in the said market, which are bigger than the local ones, are considered smuggled from China, he said.
"Ayaw nilang tumigil, ang lalakas ng loob. Kaya naisip namin ni (Chief Directorial Staff Lieutenant) General Edgar Okubo ng PNP na subukan natin ngayon hanapin sila sa palengke (They don’t want to stop, they’re strong-willed. That’s why we, together with General Edgar Okubo of PNP, planned to try looking for them in the markets),” Tiu Laurel said.
He, however, clarified that they are not after retailers but the sources of the alleged smuggled commodities.
“Pupuntahan naman iyon kung saan nakabili. Tapos hahanapin saang warehouse galing. So, doon tayo sa warehouse, magre-raid (We will go to their sources. We will look for the warehouse that it came from. So, we will raid those warehouses)," Tiu Laurel warned, citing nationwide implementation of a more stringent setup.
For its part, Okubo vowed to maintain close collaboration with the DA from the training of the law enforcement teams to the filing of cases against those behind the unscrupulous activities.
“Ang gagawin po ng Philippine National Police ay iimbistigahan po iyan at nabanggit nga po na bottom-up na lang (What the PNP will do is to investigate it and as mentioned, it will be bottom-up). From the sources, we will try to track down saan iyong volume na pinanggagalingan iyan (where the volume is coming from) for our report to the DA,” he said.
Tiu Laurel said warehouse heads and others who will be proven to be involved in the value chain may be held liable under the Republic Act No. 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
The agriculture chief, meanwhile, assured that the DA will conduct testing on the allegedly smuggled onions to ensure it is safe for human consumption. (PNA)