President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday vowed to go after smugglers and hoarders, saying he will not allow their illegal activities to continue because they make the lives of ordinary Filipino miserable.
Recognizing the detrimental impact of onion smuggling on the country’s agricultural sector, Filipino farmers, as well as the national economy, President Marcos directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct a thorough investigation in response to the issue of onion smuggling in the country.
“’Yun ang aming…direksyon dito sa pag-imbestiga na ito. Kaya’t hindi natin basta’t pababayaan ito dahil may ginugutom na Pilipino. May namamatay from starvation and poverty (na) Pilipino dahil sa kanilang ginagawa,” President Marcos said in a media interview after he attended the Livestock Philippines Expo 2023 in Pasay City.
“Hindi maaari nilang ituloy ‘yung kanilang ginagawa. Tama na ‘yan at titigilin na natin ‘yung kanilang masasayang ginagawa dati.”
The President said he has not imposed a deadline on the DOJ and NBI inquiry but wants the agencies to finish it soon and come up with a well-established investigation result.
According to President Marcos, there’s a clear onion hoarding controlled by syndicates, noting he wants a wide-ranging investigation to include other commodities.
“Ngunit ang utos ko sa DOJ at saka sa NBI, sa kanila ay kailangan malaman ninyo na hindi lamang sa sibuyas, kung hindi pa ‘yung mga sindikato, marami talagang sindikato, na nag-o-operate pa para habulin na natin, matigil ‘yung kanilang ginagawa,” he said, stressing such illicit activity amounts to economic sabotage.
The DOJ said it would collaborate with other government agencies, including the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and other agencies to address the issue.
The department’s investigation encompasses violations of Republic Act No. 10845, also known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, which specifically targets the illegal importation of agricultural products, including onions.
In addition, DOJ said it is also pursuing other offenses such as profiteering, hoarding, and smuggling, which are recognized as acts of economic sabotage.
Aside from conducting investigative and prosecutory work, DOJ said it is also enhancing the regulatory framework and is working to strengthen border controls to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. PND
