FILE PHOTO: Key government agencies are taking on initiatives to strengthen the implementation of the recently enacted Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage (AES) Act. The AES Act, or Republic Act 12022, classifies agricultural smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, and engaging in cartels as acts of economic sabotage. Violators risk life imprisonment and fines up to five times the value of the goods involved. The measure was signed into law in September 2024. Image: RusN/Getty Images
Key government agencies are taking on initiatives to strengthen the implementation of the recently enacted Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage (AES) Act.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), for instance, is currently developing the Daily Price Index through regular market and price monitoring to ensure that prices remain within the reasonable range.
The Philippine National Police (PNP), on the other hand, launched a special task force to combat anti-agricultural smuggling activities.
The DA is a member of the AES Council while the PNP is part of the AES Enforcement Group.
The AES Act, or Republic Act 12022, classifies agricultural smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, and engaging in cartels as acts of economic sabotage. Violators risk life imprisonment and fines up to five times the value of the goods involved. The measure was signed into law in September.
“Our success will not be measured solely by laws passed or penalties imposed. It will be measured by the trust we rebuild in our agricultural sector, the livelihood we safeguard, and the food security we ensure to every Filipino family,” DA’s Director for Inspectorate and Enforcement Felicisimo Madayag, Jr. said in a statement.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Secretary Randolph Pascasio shared how the past decade saw only 5 percent of the 192 agricultural smuggling cases prosecuted in court due to issues like insufficient evidence and procedural gaps.
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With the improved law, the DOJ became more proactive in handling cases through meticulous evaluation, swift feedback, and even assistance in developing cases where they guide law enforcement agencies to improve evidence to ensure a conviction, according to Pascasio.
Pascasio also said the DOJ maintains close coordination with the concerned bodies, even mandating its prosecutors to be accessible to law enforcers 24/7.
He added that these strategies yielded a 92 percent increase in their prosecution rate.
“Your DOJ, in active collaboration with key agencies and the society at large, remains steadfast in its commitment to enforce the rule of law and protect the livelihoods of our farmers and fisherfolk, stabilize food process, and secure food security for all Filipinos,” he said.
PNP Director for Intelligence Police Major General Westrimundo Obinque meanwhile said the special task force Plutusto has already conducted 1,408 operations against smuggled cigarettes and agricultural and petroleum products this 2024 alone.
According to him, the operations resulted in the arrest of 1,174 individuals and the confiscation of more than P 2.9 billion worth of smuggled items.
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He added that they have filed 887 cases in court.
“I see this as an opportunity for broader and improved cooperation and coordination with our partners, to enhance intelligence and information-sharing mechanisms, and to advance the capabilities of law enforcement and prosecution units, as we strengthen our resolve to disrupt the multi-tiered operations of criminals and ensure their prosecution,” said Obinque.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is likewise filing anti-smuggling cases. Its Cybercrime Division Executive Officer for Operations Van Homer Angluben explained they collaborate with the DA to monitor the confiscation and destruction of smuggled products.
“In the past few months, we have mobilized not only our investigative units but also our intelligence units to determine possible storage warehouses, the pattern of these products’ entry into the country, as well as personalities involved in this illicit activity,” he said.
“We have been consolidating reports, and rest assured that in the coming weeks or months, the NBI and the DA will be conducting consecutive sting operations against these warehouses,” Angluben also said.