Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is set to conduct a committee hearing into the attempted smuggling of around P700 million worth of rice from Vietnam, saying the incident raises serious concerns over the continued lack of convictions of big-time smugglers and how this apparent impunity allows large-scale smuggling operations to persist.
As chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, the senator made a manifestation during the Senate’s plenary session on Thursday, October 8.
“Mr. President, nais nating tiyakin na mababantayan natin itong mga kasong ito through your Committee on Agriculture. And therefore, we request, para mabantayan natin and to exercise our oversight functions, that this manifestation be referred to the Committee on Agriculture,” he said. “Para naman magkaroon ng dagdag na tutok at magkaroon ng resolusyon at magkaroon ng parusa doon sa mga nasa likod nitong P700 million pesos worth of Vietnam rice surreptitiously and illegally brought into the country.”
The lawmaker, who has championed the rights and welfare of farmers and fisherfolk for more than a decade, said the attempted rice smuggling is particularly alarming given its direct impact on the livelihood of Filipino rice farmers and the country’s food security.
“Pinapatay nila ang ating mga local farmers. Sinasamantala nila ang kahirapan ng ating mga magsasaka, kaya napakahalagang matutukan nito,” he added.
According to reports, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Philippine Navy (PN), and the Philippine Coast Guard, apprehended MV Tay Son 2 and MV Lucky Star last month because of questionable documentation and the cancellation of vital sanitary permits.
MV Tay Son 2, which was carrying 12,500 metric tons of rice, attempted to leave the Port of Davao without completing the required Customs processing, prompting the Philippine Navy to intercept and apprehend the vessel on the high seas.
On the other hand, MV Lucky Star, which was apprehended at the Port of Limay because its import permit was not consistent with the actual contents of the shipment, was found with nearly 7,500 metric tons of rice.
The two vessels are believed to be carrying a combined 20,000 metric tons of Vietnamese rice, with an estimated value of around P700 million based on the prevailing world market price of $420 per metric ton.
“At dahil dito, Mr. President, kaya napakaraming gustong mag-smuggle at marami naman nasa kasabwat dahil ang laking perang umiikot dito sa pag-smuggle ng agriculture products,” Pangilinan said.
He further lamented that despite Republic Act No. 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, setting the threshold at P10 million for an agricultural economic sabotage case to be non-bailable, no big-time smugglers have been jailed.
“Sadly, however, the record of apprehension leading to imprisonment and conviction, thus far, is dismal. Kaya masasabi natin, wala pang big-time billionaire smugglers ang nakukulong sa ganitong gawain. Maraming seizure, maraming confiscation, pero pagdating sa conviction, mukhang may mga magic na nangyayari,” he said.
“Siguro naman, ika nga, baka naman sa 700 million na nakumpiska, eh meron nang makukulong na malaking bilyonaryong mga smuggler,” he stressed.
This is not the first time the senator has called out the low conviction rates for cases involving agricultural smuggling. He made the same remarks during a recent Committee on Justice hearing that he headed.
Previously, he also flagged that only four out of the 132 agricultural smuggling-related cases from 2021 to 2025 have been filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) because of the BOC’s failure to provide proper and correct documents.
He has also repeatedly called out the so-called untouchables or big-time financiers and backers of agricultural smuggling.
(Photo courtesy: Bureau of Customs (BOC))