Sotto confident Marcos will address agricultural smuggling

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday expressed confidence that President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will address the smuggling of agricultural products as well as the other problems that the sector is facing once the latter assumes the post of head of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The outgoing Senate chief, citing his earlier conversation with the incoming president, said Marcos already has a list of persons allegedly involved in the illegal importation of agricultural products.

"Lock, stock, and barrel. I am expecting the president to scrutinize everything. He knows what's going on. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure if I'm at liberty to say so, but I know for a fact that he already has a list of those involved in the smuggling," he said in an interview with reporters.

Sotto narrated that Marcos was "bothered" by the smuggling problem in the DA and the Bureau of Customs, saying the president-elect was "shaking his head" and his facial expression showed disgust when they tackled the issue.

"I think it's an excellent decision," Sotto said, referring to Marcos' announcement on Monday that he will head the DA "at least for now."

"It is one of the issues that we talked about when we met. Unfortunately, with due respect, the Department of Agriculture has been embroiled in so much corruption, especially in the issue of smuggling, technical smuggling... Kaya napakaganda na nadesisyunan na ang pangulo muna ang (that is why it is a good decision to have the president act as) secretary of Agriculture," he said.

Priority

Other senators of the 19thCongress also welcomed Marcos' decision to head the DA.

In a separate interview, Senator Nancy Binay said Marcos heading the DA shows how his administration gives importance to the sector.

"Dito natin nakikita kung gaano kahalaga sa BBM administration ang sektor ng agrikultura, 'di ba? Kasi no less than the president would focus doon sa pangangailangan ng sektor ng agrikultura. Alam naman natin sobrang laki ng problema natin," Binay told reporters.

(This is where we see how important the agriculture sector is to the BBM administration. No less than the president will focus on the needs of the agriculture sector. We know that we have a big problem.)

Apart from the food security issue, Binay pointed out that there are other agricultural problems such as the African swine fever outbreak and the lack of assistance to farmers to sell their crops to the market that need to be addressed.

With Marcos at the helm of the DA, Binay expects a whole of government approach to these problems.

"Kailangan ng convergence from all agencies. For example, 'yung usapin ng smuggling, 'di ba? So kung ikaw ang president, madali mong sabihan ang Bureau of Customs na 'bantayan n'yo yan para to prevent ang pagpasok ng smuggled food items sa atin, sa bansa natin.' May ganong, kumbaga, extra powers," she explained.

(There needs to be convergence from all agencies. For example, regarding smuggling. If you are the president, you can easily order the Bureau of Customs to strictly monitor [the entry of goods] to prevent smuggled food items from getting through our borders. There are, so to say, extra powers.)

Senator Sonny Angara, in a text message shared to reporters, shared Binay's stand that Marcos taking the DA's highest post means the agriculture sector is the "top priority" of the president-elect.

"It’s the president’s prerogative since all cabinet secretaries are his agents anyway. Nangangahulugan ito na top priority ni President-elect BBM ang sitwasyon sa pagkain at pagsasaka lalong lalo na sa panahon ng pagtaas ng presyo ng pagkain sa pandaigdigang merkado at dito sa loob ng bansa," Angara said.

(This means that President-Elect BBM's top priority is the food situation and agriculture, especially now that prices of food in the world market and here in our country are rising.)

"Maaari [rin] na naghahanap pa sila ng mahusay na mamumuno sa Department of Agriculture," he added.

(It is also possible that they are still looking for the right person to head the Department of Agriculture.)

Returning Senator JV Ejercito also said this move shows that Marcos is serious in addressing the upcoming food crisis.

"It's a strong signal to the agencies under DA that they should all get their acts together," Ejercito said.

For Senator-elect Francis Escudero, Marcos can "cut a lot of red tape" in the department and the president leading the agency "automatically puts at the disposal of the department and the agriculture all the resources of government behind it."

Another returning lawmaker, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, said Marcos' latest announcement is a "good" and a "very admirable" decision.

"It shows how decisive and very hands on our President-elect is. It may not be the end-all and be-all solution to all the problems besetting the agricultural sector including the food crisis but for sure decision making will be really fast and solutions can be undertaken and implemented right away dahil ang Pangulo na mismo ang nagkukumpas (because it is the president himself who will call the shots)," he said.

In a press conference Monday, Marcos announced that he will temporarily assume the post of agriculture secretary when his administration takes over on June 30.

Marcos made the announcement weeks after the DA warned of a food crisis in the second half of 2022 due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, rising fuel prices, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. —KG, GMA News