A THREE -termer lawmaker from Mindanao today lauded Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel for standing up against smugglers from China who blatantly disrespects the country’s farmers and fishermen by making the Philippines a dumping ground of their “decaying” aquatic and agricultural products.
Former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said the country’s farmers and fishermen are suffering from either low income or loss of livelihood due to the importation of China-sourced, cheap and decomposing or rotting aquatic and agricultural products, many of which had been found to be not fit for human consumption.
The former chair of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs and House’s Quad Committee said that if necessary, there should be a complete ban on the importation of all decaying or short shelf-life products from China as these pose health hazards, aside from its economic rip-offs to the local Filipino traders.
“Ang pag-dagsa ng murang China-made or produced products sa ating bansa ay hindi mangyayari kung hindi ito palulusutin ng mga tiwaling tauhan ng gobyerno na nakatalaga sa ating mga air at sea ports, partikular na ang mga tauhan ng Bureau of Customs,” he said.
“Ang mga tiwaling ito ay di alintana kung ano ang magiging epekto ng smuggling sa ating kalusugan at ekonomiya, lalo na sa ating mga mangingisda at magsasaka. Dapat lang siguro na maglabas ang Department of Finance ng polisiya na kasuhan, sibakin sa pwesto at tanggalin sa serbisyo agad-agad ang lahat ng tiga BoC na gumagawa ng mga pilipit na bagay na ito,” he added.
Tiu-Laurel, in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday at the vicinity of the Bureau of Customs compound in Port Area, Manila, assailed the smugglers from China for again shipping rotting frozen fish and fresh onions, under the guise of noodles, kimchi, and dumplings, concealed in six container vans, all worth P35 million.
The DA chief said if needed, the government should conduct rigid risk assessment on all China products arriving in the country, open up all containers of said shipments and prevent entry of all illegal cargoes.
“Para wala nang makalusot. Wala silang respect for the law, walang respect sa ating farmers, walang respect sa ating mga fishermen. Binabastos tayo, eh. Hindi tama yun!,” Tiu-Laurel said.
There are still at least 50 container vans that have arrived at the Subic Bay Port in Zambales which were all held by the BoC based on strong suspicions they also contain smuggled China-produced or sourced aquatic and agricultural products.
Barbers expressed confidence that the anti-smuggling campaign on agricultural and aquatic products led by Secretary Tiu-Laurel would be maintained and sustained to prevent Chinese and Filipino cartels, like the rice cartels, from taking pecuniary advantage over legit Filipino traders.
“Kawawa ang ating bansa sa mga Chinese smugglers na ito. Nagtataas ang presyo ng bigas dahil sa mga rice cartels. Nalulugi at nagdurusa naman ang ating mga farmers at mangingisda dahil sa murang imported na China-produced products na ini-smuggle sa ating bansa. Magagaling ang mga ito sa mga pilipit na pamamaraan upang pagkakitaan at pahirapan ang mga Filipino,” he said.
Aside from smuggling decaying assorted types of fish and vegetables, unscrupulous China-based traders are also into smuggling of frozen duck, chicken, pork and other food items into the Philippine market.
