Photo Release

Zero conviction rate against economic saboteurs: Sen. Imee Marcos laments that despite large-scale smuggling of agriculture products, no conviction was rendered against those who committed economic sabotage. Marcos, describing herself as the representative in the Senate of the “vegetable belt of the Philippines,” thanked Senate President Vicente Sotto III for his privilege speech delivered Tuesday, December 7, 2021, on the rampant agricultural smuggling at the Bureau of Customs. “Sadly, despite flagrant cases of such economic sabotage, uncovered by our Committee on Agriculture through Sen. (Cynthia) Villar and other members of this chamber, not a single conviction has been made under this law… it is not only smuggling that poses a problem to our vegetable farmers, including rice, and hog raisers, livestock and fisheries but also the unbridled, unregulated importation of all these products even at the height of harvest season, when we open ourselves through Rice Tariffication (Law), when we open and comply with WTO (World Trade Organization), and other international accords,” Marcos said. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)