Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has renewed his call for a full-scale, coordinated campaign to stop agricultural smuggling—warning that the long-standing crisis is bleeding Filipino farmers dry and putting the country’s food supply at risk.
“A single sack of smuggled rice is a direct blow to a Filipino farmer. Every shipment that slips through is stolen income, stolen dignity,” Pangilinan said. “This must end.”The senator expressed support for Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno’s reform push, but stressed that piecemeal efforts won’t cut it. He called for a whole-of-government approach, led by stronger enforcement and real accountability—not just confiscation of goods, but prosecution of smugglers and complicit officials.“Smuggling is not just theft. It’s betrayal—of our farmers, our fisherfolk, and our future,” he said. “If we’re serious about food security, we must lock up the big-time smugglers and dismantle their networks.”Pangilinan also laid out key recommendations to intensify the government’s anti-smuggling drive: • Expand the mandate and coordination powers of the Inter-Agency Task Force • Enable farmers and vendors to report smuggling without fear • Fast-track legal and administrative cases against Customs personnel and traders involved • Institutionalize the Sagip Saka Act as a proactive measure to strengthen local production and direct market access“This is not just about enforcement. It’s about defending the hands that feed us. Smuggling doesn’t just rob our economy—it robs every Filipino who grows, harvests, and brings food to our tables,” Pangilinan said.As former Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Senate Agriculture Committee Chair, Pangilinan helped bring rice inflation down from 15% to 0.8%, and reduced overall inflation to 1.5%—the lowest in twenty years.“Food security is national security. And until we clean up Customs and crack down on smugglers, we leave our farmers—and our country—unprotected,” he added.