Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. lamented Wednesday the absence of his department’s enforcement power, which he said has resulted in the lack of agriculture smugglers getting apprehended.
During the continuing hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, senators pressed the DA to answer why the country’s big time agriculture smugglers remain “untouchable.”
“Dalawa ang ibig sabihin niyan—may kasabwat sa DA o may kasabwat sa Customs o both. ‘Yun lang ‘yun eh. O inutil pareho,” said Senator Raffy Tulfo, who previously delivered a privilege speech regarding the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).
(This means two things—either they have an accomplice in the DA or in the Bureau of Customs, or both. Or maybe both these agencies are useless.)
“Papaputol ko lahat ng daliri ko kung may nakakulong diyan….Kasi talagang wala eh. Just give me one name na agriculture smuggler na nakakulong ngayon sa Bilibid. Wala. Through the years, wala,” he added.
(I will cut off all my fingers if there’s an agri smuggler who is arrested...There is no one. Just give me one name of an agriculture smuggler who is now in Bilibid. No one. Through the years, no one has been arrested.)
Tiu Laurel, meanwhile, said that the DA has filed cases against four individuals, but noted that these are only Quarantine Law and the Food Safety Law.
Tulfo emphasized that the agency has to focus on the case until the smugglers get convicted.
“Ang problema nito, while gusto ko rin ang gusto ninyo na magkaron ng naka-posas, makulong na non-bailable, kung pwede nga maibaon ‘yan sa kulungan nang matagal tagal, eh ‘yun din ang hangarin ko dahil galit ako diyan. Ang problema, wala kaming powers—’yan ang total, honest truth diyan,” Tiu Laurel answered.
(While I also want to see them handcuffed, face a non-bailable offense, and rot in jail for a long time because I hate what they’re doing, the problem is we don't have powers—that's the total, honest truth here.)
“Bigyan niyo ho kami ng enforcement power, ako na maga-guarantee sa inyo may makukulong,” he continued.
(Give us enforcement power and I myself will assure you that there will be people who will be jailed.)
Enforcement powers
Meanwhile, committee chairman Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said that the DA used to have enforcement powers but this was removed when the RTL was enacted.
This is why he said that the RTL needs to be amended again.
Pangilinan also said that the goal of the RTL to bring down rice prices and to develop the capacity of rice farmers “have not been met” six years after the law was enacted in 2019.
“Nangako itong ibaba ang presyo ng bigas para sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino at itaguyod ang isang modernized, competitive rice industry. Pero ayun na nga, hindi ito natupad mapagsa-hanggang ngayon,” the senator said.
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