Farmers to Faeldon: Nab file charges vs rice smugglers

By Liezle Basa Inigo

VILLASIS, Pangasinan – The Samahang Industriya sa Agrikultura (SINAG) yesterday appealed to Bureau of Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon to immediately file charges of economic sabotage against RPR International Trading, their brokers, agents and cohorts in government by attempting to smuggle 12 40-foot container vans of rice in Manila.

Rosendo So, SINAG chairman said the case will test Faeldon’s commitment and drive against smuggling. The agriculture sector noted that here is already a law in place, R.A. 10845 or “An Act Declaring Large Scale Agricultural Smuggling as Economic Sabotage, a non bailable offense.

The BOC earlier seized a dozen 40-footer container vans with an estimated P20 million of smuggled rice from China.

Faeldon, who personally supervised the inspection of the vans, said that bureau may donate the rice to the Social Welfare department.

SINAG believed that it is not enough for the BOC to simply suspend the accreditation of the consignee and grab photo opportunities beside the confiscated containers.

So is hopeful that this time the smugglers will be apprehended, charged and punished.

Many in the agriculture sector voted for then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte because of his campaign promised to eliminate smuggling , according to So.

Under R.A. 10845 ,the amount of smuggled agricultural product, subject to economic sabotage is equal or more than P10 million for rice and equal or more than P1 million for other agricultural products such as sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots , fish and cruciferous vegetables.

Smugglers and their cohorts will face penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of twice the fair market value of the smuggled agricultural product and the aggregate amount of taxes, duties and other charges avoided.