Kiko Pangilinan

After exposing a suspected P700-million attempt to smuggle Vietnamese rice into the country, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Friday, October 9, urged Filipinos to demand justice and accountability for agricultural smuggling, drawing parallels with the flood control scandal, which similarly deprives ordinary Filipinos of resources and protections they are entitled to receive from the government.

He said that just as alleged corruption in flood control projects puts communities at risk and leaves Filipinos vulnerable to devastating floods, corruption and abuse of power in the agricultural sector threaten the country’s food security, undermine farmers’ livelihoods, and burden consumers with the consequences.

“Ang mga smuggler ng bigas at ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno na kumakanlong sa kanila, parang mga tiwaling kontratista sa flood-control scam at sa mga lingkod-bayan kuno na enabler nila: Pareho nilang kinakalakal ang kapakanan ng taumbayan,” the senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, pointed out.

He explained that agricultural smuggling is not merely an economic offense but an issue that directly affects the daily lives of Filipinos.

Illegally imported agricultural products compromise legitimate local producers, causing farmers and livestock raisers to lose their livelihoods while weakening the country’s capacity to produce its own food.

“Kumikita ang rice smuggler sa pagkalugi ng magsasaka. Kumikita ang korap na contractor sa pagkalubog sa baha ng mga komunidad,” Pangilinan said.

“At kung may mga opisyal sa Customs, LGUs (local government units), DA (Department of Agriculture), DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), o iba pang ahensya na hinahayaan ang ganitong mga gawain, dapat din silang mananagot. Pati kasabwat at enablers, dapat managot,” he added.

The senator noted that the public must demand the same level of scrutiny, transparency, and accountability in investigating agricultural smuggling as it does in exposing irregularities in government infrastructure projects.

Pangilinan called on the public to remain vigilant against all forms of corruption and abuse of power, particularly those that threaten food security.

“Lalo na sa panahon ng Super El Niño—na inaasahan nating magpapahirap pa lalo sa ating sektor ng agrikultura at pangingisda—at iba pang banta sa ating food security, walang dapat maging untouchable,” he stressed.

On Thursday, the lawmaker made a manifestation during the Senate’s plenary session to reveal that the Bureau of Customs (BOC), in coordination with the DA and the Philippine Navy, apprehended in two separate operations MV Tay Son 2 and MV Lucky Star, which were carrying 12,500 metric tons and 7,500 metric tons, respectively, of allegedly smuggled rice from Vietnam.

Estimated at P700 million, the attempted entry of 20,000 metric tons of Vietnamese rice into the domestic market could further undermine the livelihoods of Filipino rice farmers, who are already bracing for the adverse effects of the looming Super El Niño.