Nearly a year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act (Republic Act 12022) into law, the Department of Agriculture (DA) continues its intensified fight against agricultural smuggling—but calls are growing for urgent amendments to further strengthen enforcement.
In a submitted statement to the Senate Committee on Agriculture chaired by Senator Francis Pangilinan, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said that the DA-Inspectorate and Enforcement (DA-IE) conducted 182 anti-smuggling operations between January 2024 and July 2025, leading to the confiscation of P3.78 billion worth of illegal agricultural and fishery goods.
In 2024 alone, P2.8 billion worth of smuggled products were seized. However, smugglers remain active, with 111 operations this year yielding P953 million in seizures.
“We’ve blacklisted 20 importers under my watch—13 of whom were operating without licenses,” said Tiu Laurel. “Garapal talaga. Mabuti pa ang mga buwaya, tumitigil kapag busog na.”
A notable win includes the ongoing detention of an onion importer at Manila City Jail, with multiple cases filed in courts in Manila and Olongapo. More legal actions are underway as the DA builds its evidence base.
Despite these strides, Tiu Laurel emphasized that RA 12022 still falls short. The law raised penalties for smuggling but also increased the threshold for an offense to qualify as economic sabotage—making prosecution more difficult. More critically, it did not grant the DA direct enforcement authority.
“The law is a step in the right direction, but without enforcement powers, our hands are tied. We cannot fully protect our farmers and fisherfolk,” he said.
Tiu Laurel also called for stronger coordination with the Bureau of Customs and the Food and Drug Administration, and for the establishment of the permanent secretariat mandated by the law, to be led by the DA.
“This fight is far from over,” he added. “Let’s lessen the burden of our farmers and fisherfolk—iparamdam po natin na hindi nila pasan ang daigdig.”
