The Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), its Inspectorate and Enforcement office, and the Bureau of Customs (BOC), has intercepted six container vans carrying misdeclared imported onions and mackerel—potentially serving as a test case for the newly enacted Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
The shipments were declared as egg noodles, spring rolls, and dumplings. But, upon joint inspection, three of the six 40-foot containers were found to hold approximately 74 metric tons of fresh red onions valued at around P10.3 million. One container held yellow onions worth P3.82 million, and two others contained frozen mackerel with an estimated value of between P13 million and P20 million.
The listed consignee for two onion-loaded vans was Latinx Consumer Goods Trading, while the remaining four—one with yellow onions and three with mackerel—were consigned to Lexxa Consumer Goods Trading.
Violators of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law may face a fine amounting to five times the value of the smuggled or hoarded agricultural products and life imprisonment. Under the law, smuggling or hoarding of agricultural commodities is classified as economic sabotage if the value of the goods exceeds P10 million.
“We intend to use the full force of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act against these companies, including those who may have hired them to ship these onions and fish. We will pursue all legal remedies to bring these illicit traders to justice,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.
He underscored President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to protect Filipino farmers and public health from the harmful impact of smuggling and unfair trade.
Microbiological tests conducted by the BPI on onions seized from Paco Public Market revealed E. coli contamination. Previously confiscated vegetables also tested positive for heavy metals.
DA Undersecretary of Inspectorate and Enforcement Carlos Carag said the increasing number of seizures of smuggled agricultural commodities reflects growing vigilance and stronger inter-agency coordination between the DA and the BOC.
BPI Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban added that misdeclarations of imported goods endanger both food safety and national biosecurity.
