Remulla eyes some gov’t officials over smuggling of onions

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said they are looking into the possible involvement of some government officials over the smuggling of onions and other agricultural products.

"We are suspecting some of them, yes," Remulla said in an ambush interview when asked if there are individuals in "high positions" or "officials" involved.

“Marami tayong pangalanang nais tignan mula sa iba’t ibang ahensya na may kinalaman sa pagpasok at pagbibigay ng permiso na ipasok ang mga… commodities na pinag-uusapan,” he later added.

(We want to look into names from different agencies that are involved in the entry and giving of permits to import the said commodities.)

However, Remulla said the Justice Department still needs to validate the information that they have received.

“We are still, we will still validating a few more facts and we will be calling on the government agencies involved in the regulatory process to give us the necessary documents so that our database would be complete when we go all out,” the Justice Secretary said.

Remulla said they are looking into the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and the Department of Agriculture (DA), among others.

“[A]ng BOC kung saan dumadaan lahat ng papasok sa ating mga pantalan. Sa ating BPI kung saan nag o-originate ang mga import permits. Sa DA na iba’t ibang permits pa ang kinukuha upang makita itong mga bagay na ito,” he said.

(The BOC which passes everything that enter our ports. The BPI where our import permits originate. And the DA that gives out different permits for these products.)

He said billions of cash could be involved in the smuggling of onions.

“In the billions. In the billions. Tandaan natin (let us remember), we’re talking about the supply of commodities to a population of 100 million people. So these runs in the billions,” Remulla said.

He said that they will also hold former officials accountable if there is evidence pointing to them as they were first notified about the smuggling in 2018.

“Kung meron talagang tuturo sa kanila na ebidensya ay wala naman tayong sasantohin dito (If there is evidence pointing at them, we will not spare anyone),” he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in early July ordered the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the smuggling activities involving onions and other agricultural products.

“I have just given instructions to the DOJ and the NBI to initiate an investigation into the hoarding, smuggling, [and] price fixing of agricultural commodities," Marcos said in a video message aired early this month.

In his second State of the Nation Address Address on Monday, Marcos gave a stern warning against smugglers and hoarders of agricultural products, saying that their days are already numbered.

“Isa sa mga dahilan ng pagtaas ng presyo ay ang mga smuggler, mga hoarder, at mga nagmamanipula ng produktong pang-agrikultura. Ihahabol at ihahabla natin sila,” Marcos said before a joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

[One of the reasons of rising prices is the presence of smugglers, hoarders and manipulators of agricultural products. We will look for them and file complaints against them.]

“Sadyang hindi tama ang kanilang gawain at hindi rin ito tugma sa ating magandang layunin, pandaraya ang kanilang ginagawa. Napapahamak hindi lamang mga magsasaka, kundi tayo ring mamimili kaya't hindi natin papayagan ang ganitong kalakaran. Bilang na ang araw ng mga smugglers at hoarders na 'yan,” he added.

[What they are doing is not right, they are committing fraud. Not only farmers are affected, but consumers as well, that's why we won't allow such practice. The days of smugglers and hoarders are numbered.] — RSJ, GMA Integrated News