By Stephanie Sevillano
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday urged lawmakers to grant it enforcement powers to strengthen the fight against agricultural smuggling.
The department issued the statement nearly a year after the passage of Republic Act (RA) 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said amendments to the law are needed to pursue those behind the illicit trade, which he described as “economic sabotage” that gravely harms local farmers and fisherfolk.
“The law is a step in the right direction, but without enforcement powers, our hands are tied. We cannot fully protect our farmers and fisherfolk,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement.
Under the current setup, the agency has no “direct authority” to hold smugglers liable despite intensified operations and seizures.
As of July 2025, the DA-Inspectorate and Enforcement (IE) has already confiscated PHP3.78 billion worth of illegally imported agricultural and fishery products from 182 anti-smuggling operations since January 2024.
The DA-IE, however, reported that smugglers remain active, with PHP953 million worth of smuggled products seized and about 111 operations conducted this year alone.
“We’ve blacklisted 20 importers under my watch—13 of whom were operating without licenses,” Tiu Laurel said.
“They are so shameless. A crocodile is even better, as it stops when it’s full,” he said in Filipino.
The department also pressed for a review of the current threshold for cases to qualify as economic sabotage, which makes prosecution “more difficult.”
At present, the threshold is set at PHP10 million for all agri-fishery products, higher than the PHP1 million threshold applied to specific commodities—including sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetables—under the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016. (PNA)
