MANILA – Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has called on the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to suspend the release of 59 container vans that were recently unloaded at the Subic Bay Freeport, suspected of containing smuggled agricultural products, onions and fish.
The request is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to intensify its crackdown on agricultural smuggling, which not only depresses market prices and weakens local farmers but also poses risks to public health.
“Under the new Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law, we can go after not only consignees, but also customs brokers, transporters, sellers, and buyers. We are going after the entire supply chain,” Laurel said.
The DA chief stressed the importance of a whole-of-government approach, where importers often misdeclare agricultural products—such as frozen mackerel or fresh onions.
Such measures will be transferred in administration from the DA’s regulatory agencies–Bureau of Plant Industry, Bureau of Animal Industry, and BFAR–to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the Department of Health (DOH).
The power to seize misdeclared shipments rests with the BOC, which operates under the Department of Finance.