MANILA – Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Wednesday underscored the deepening link between the country’s food and agriculture crises and what he described as systemic failures and possible collusion enabling large-scale agricultural and fisheries smuggling.
Opening the sixth Senate hearing on the issue, Pangilinan recounted the “inconsistent and troubling” testimonies surrounding the controversial Subic incident, where several refrigerated containers flagged by the Department of Agriculture (DA) were released for a supposed 100-percent inspection despite having no formal Bureau of Customs (BOC) alert order and no verified consignee warehouse at the listed destination.
He said testimonies from customs examiners, assessment officers and the Subic district collector presented conflicting versions of who authorized the release, who coordinated with the DA — if they coordinated at all — and why the inspection was done outside port premises despite security concerns.
Pangilinan noted that questions on the chain of custody, the authenticity of request letters, and the alleged use of fictitious consignees reflect “systemic lapses and possible collusion” inside port operations.
“Hindi ito isolated lapse — patunay ito ng isang malawak na operasyon na umaasa sa mga butas ng sistema (This is not an isolated lapse — it is proof of a broad operation exploiting weaknesses in the system),” he said.
Marking International Human Rights Day, the senator stressed that agricultural smuggling is not merely an economic crime but a human rights issue.
He said illegal shipments depress the incomes of farmers and fishers, contribute to losses in local production, eliminate job opportunities, and deprive consumers of safe and affordable food.
“Lumalabag tayo sa (We are violating) basic human rights: the right to safe, nutritious, and affordable food, and the right to food security,” he said, citing reports that unfit and untested food products continue to enter the country.
He added that the influx of unsafe, rotten, or untested meat and produce undermines the dignity and livelihoods of rural families whose locally grown products are forced to compete with smuggled goods sold at distorted prices.
Pangilinan emphasized that while existing laws recognize economic sabotage and protect farmers’ rights, corruption in enforcement renders these safeguards “ampaw na pangako (empty promises)."
“Habang hindi binabaklas ang katiwalian… hindi pa fully realized ang mga obligasyon ng estado sa karapatang pantao (Until corruption is dismantled… the State’s human rights obligations remain not fully realized),” he said.
As the hearings continue, he vowed sustained vigilance, stressing that justice for farmers, fishers, workers and consumers demands that smuggling and corruption not dictate prices, weaken food security, or undermine the nation’s future. (PNA)