Nearly a year after the passage of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act (Republic Act 12022), the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported progress in its crackdown on smuggling but is pushing for amendments to strengthen enforcement.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement submitted to the Senate Committee on Agriculture the DA-Inspectorate and Enforcement Office conducted 182 operations between January 2024 and July 2025, leading to the confiscation of P3.78 billion worth of illegal agricultural and fishery products.
In 2024 alone, seizures reached P2.8 billion, while 111 operations yielded P953 million worth of smuggled goods.
“We’ve blacklisted 20 importers under my watch – 13 of whom were operating without licenses,” Tiu Laurel said.
“They are shameless. Even crocodiles stop when they’re full,” he said.
Tiu Laurel said, however, that while RA 12022 raised penalties for smuggling, it also increased the threshold for cases to qualify as economic sabotage, making prosecution more difficult. The law also stopped short of giving the DA direct enforcement authority.
“The law is a step in the right direction, but without enforcement powers, our hands are tied,” he said.
“We cannot fully protect our farmers and fisherfolk,” the agriculture chief said.
Tiu Laurel called for stronger coordination with the Bureau of Customs and the Food and Drug Administration and for the establishment of a permanent secretariat under the DA, as mandated by the law.
