ANGARA: SENATE TO HEAR ANTI-SMUGGLING,
CUSTOMS MODERNIZATION BILLS

The Senate ways and means committee will hear tomorrow, Jan. 28, measures aiming to curb corruption in the Bureau of Customs and fight smuggling in the country.

"Although enforcement is largely a fight of the executive branch, we are prioritizing these anti-smuggling measures so Congress can aid the government in the fight and we want to ensure that they have the weapons to do so and are not unduly hampered," said Sen. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, chair of the ways and means committee.

Among the proposed measures that will be tackled are the customs and tariff modernization bill and different versions of anti-smuggling bills.

The committee has invited Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Customs Commissioner John Sevilla, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, among other personalities to be resource speakers for tomorrow's hearing.

"While the committee on agriculture investigates into the prevalence of rice smuggling in light of reports of payoffs involving Customs officials and identification of alleged smugglers, our committee is focused on formulating and strengthening legislation to curb, if not eliminate, smuggling and corruption in the country," Angara said.